


Plucked But Not Wilted

by BurningHeart



Category: RWBY
Genre: After Salem's defeat, F/F, F/M, Other Characters Are Mentioned, Other Characters appear but they're not worth tagging, no damn Gods because they just make everything difficult let's be honest, welcome to How To Survive The Hiatus part 398, you'll get everything from fluff to angst to bad jokes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-08
Updated: 2020-02-25
Packaged: 2021-02-28 00:29:00
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 22,880
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22614889
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BurningHeart/pseuds/BurningHeart
Summary: Victory over Salem brought peace and unity to Remnant. But it also brought someone back - and she's ready to reclaim her life.Or: Summer returns and demonstrates her skills as a hero, a wife, and a mother.
Relationships: Blake Belladonna/Yang Xiao Long, Ruby Rose/Weiss Schnee, Summer Rose/Taiyang Xiao Long
Comments: 63
Kudos: 205





	1. Free

**Author's Note:**

> New story, folks. Had the urge to write something with Summer ever since that episode that made Ruby cry :(

A rumble made her jolt out of her sleep. A deep, threatening rumble seemingly coming from within the earth itself. Was the Witch mad at something again, tearing apart entire mountain ranges like last time? Or maybe she was creating yet another abomination, even larger than that horrific whale. She didn't want to know, to be honest.

Sighing, she leaned back against the cold stone, listening to water droplets falling into the small puddles on the ground. The air was humid and it smelled of smoke and fear. Not her own fear – she had long since become used to this sinister place. But she could hear the newer prisoners whimper and quietly cry, still not accustomed to their unescapable fate.

A rumble, again. Louder than the one before, letting dust rain from the ceiling. Salem must be in an exceptionally bad mood today, to shake her realm to the very core like that.

Suddenly, her prison cell opened. The thick metal bars slid to the side with a bloodcurdling screech – they hadn't been opened in almost two decades, after all – and locked in place. Curious though cautious, she got up from her corner. What was going on here?

"Get out!" a shrill female voice yelled in the hallway. "Out, out, out! We don't have much time! This way!" A redheaded young woman with a hammer over her shoulder peeked into her cell. "Come on!"

Stunned speechless, she came closer, spotting some prisoners already running towards the exit. Another rumble creating cracks in the walls shook her, making her almost lose her balance. Luckily, the woman grabbed her by the arm and dragged her out of her cell, almost throwing her into the stream of escaping people.

She wanted to ask her what was happening, but the woman already dashed to the next prison, and the next and the next. Therefore, she decided to go. To leave everything behind, to get out.

To be… free?

Outside, a thunderstorm had gathered over the castle. Lightning struck every so often, followed by a beam of blinding light. She could hear gunshots of various calibers, pistols as well as shotguns and rifles, accompanied by the unmistakable sound of Dust being used in all its elemental forms.

Someone was fighting the Queen. But were they winning?

She didn't know. She didn't care for now – she was too weak to be any kind of help for them anyway, with her atrophied muscles and her body frail and thin. A man dressed in green and with long black hair showed the fleeing prisoners the way to an airship and as soon as the redheaded woman joined him, the ship took off.

Glued to the window, she tried to catch a glimpse at the battle but she wasn't able to make out any details. But one thing she was sure about – they had a Silver Eyed Warrior with them. That meant they had a chance.

She wished them luck, whoever was out there trying to save the world from its probable demise.

***

The prisoners were brought out of the Land of Darkness and into an inconspicuous clearing. A rabbit Faunus tended to the injured while a giant, broad man with the biggest sword she had ever seen started up a fire where he cooked a simple yet filling stew.

She could have cried at the taste. It had been so long since she had eaten actual meat, and even the filtered river water was like ambrosia for her dry throat.

As she soon found out, the two were hunters from Beacon, though they had graduated in Vacuo. Of course, everybody had questions, but they decided not to answer them until they could be sure they were out of danger.

She could feel their uncertainty, though. They were scared. They didn't want to spread false hope.

She prayed for the fighters in the Land of Darkness to be successful.

***

Two days later, the Faunus got a message which brought tears to her eyes. The Witch had fallen. The huntsmen and huntresses had won, barely, but they had. They were on their way home now, some of them in dire need of medical attention.

The entire camp erupted into deafening cheers. Nobody had expected to ever get out of Salem's grasp alive, and here they were.

She couldn't wait to return home.

They packed up the tents, extinguished the fire and began boarding the airship once more. This time, the tall huntsman documented their names and if they had a specific place they wished to go to.

Finally, it was her turn. "Name?" the man asked her politely.

"Rose," she answered, "Summer Rose."


	2. Daughters

Yang was lying in the hospital bed, head pounding and body aching. The heavy pain killers they had given her made her feel groggy and every movement of hers was somehow sluggish. But she lived. She was alive. And so was her team.

They all had single rooms, their injuries too severe to pack them all together as if they were students in an academy. As far as she knew, Blake and Weiss weren't even conscious yet. Ruby was, but just like her, there was no way she could leave her bed anytime soon.

Yang felt her heart swell with happiness. She had been so afraid of losing anyone, everything. She almost had. But she was here now and she held on to the fact that they would all recover and that everything would be alright. That they had won, that it was over. That everyone important to her was safe. That was her mantra.

There suddenly was a knock on her door. Frowning, Yang turned her head, though a little too fast as a wave of nausea and vertigo immediately hit her. She shut her eyes closed to somehow escape the unpleasant feelings. Concussions sucked. Was it a nurse? Was it time for her next dose of meds already?

The door opened and a… woman entered. Blinking, Yang couldn't make out who it was, the light from the hallway being too bright for her struggling eyes.

"Oh, sweetie…" the woman quietly said and she heard the stranger's voice crack at the end. She hurried over to Yang and stood at her bed, sniffling.

"Who…" Yang slurred out, still blinking, desperately trying to keep her eyes open for a few seconds at a time.

A hand took hers. It was soft, yet had a firm grip. And that voice… it was familiar.

The woman sat down at the edge of the mattress and leaned over, brushing a golden lock behind her ear. "Look at you… You've grown so strong, so beautiful…"

Yang's breath hitched. The smell. The smell of roses.

"Your hair is still as vibrant as I remember it to be."

Yang's vision blurred more than before, but this time it was from her own tears. Her mind suddenly was clear as day.

No. It couldn't be.

"M-Mom?" she whispered tentatively.

Summer took Yang's left hand to her face, letting it rest on her cheek. "I missed you so much. Sorry it took so long."

Despite her aches and pains and through her concussion, Yang forced herself to sit up. Up close, she saw her – her dark hair with a hint of red, her Silver Eyes, and a kind smile gracing her face. She looked a little older than in her memories but even after almost twenty years, she was still beautiful.

Yang stared at her for a good moment until the dam broke. She slid her arm around Summer's neck, pulling her into a hug while sobs shook her entire body. Summer hugged her back just as tightly, maybe even more so, one hand rubbing her back while the other cradled her head gently.

"I'm sorry," Yang choked out.

Summer frowned. "What? Honey, don't be."

"I-I couldn't—I can't…" The girl could hardly speak, sobs forcing themselves through her words every couple of seconds. "I'm so s-sorry…"

"Yang, no… Calm down, it's okay." She pulled her daughter against her chest, planting a tender kiss on the crown of her head. "Take a deep breath. You did well, there is no need to apologize."

Yang tried for a long time, trembling against Summer's form and hiccupping every so often.  
"Please promise me this is real," she weakly said after some time. "I can't lose you again."

"I'm here. I swear, I'm not going away." Summer's own tears began to gather in the corners of her eyes but she kept her smile up. "Not one day has passed when I didn't think of my daughters. I love you, Yang, and I couldn't be prouder of how far you've come."

Yang didn't think she had ever cried this hard. They sat together for a long time, Summer rocking her like a little child while humming an old nursery rhyme. Yang didn't care that she was an adult and neither did she care when an actual nurse came into the room and scolded her for not lying down. Summer shooed the woman out like a misbehaving pet and it made Yang momentarily giggle through her sobs.

She had so many questions, but they could wait. For now, all she wanted was for this moment to never end.

She needed this. She had needed this for years.

***

Yang had fallen asleep in Summer's arms. It had taken her a long time to calm down but when she eventually did, she slept with a smile on her lips. Summer had laid her back down on the mattress, watching her daughter rest peacefully despite her injuries.

She couldn't believe how much she'd missed while she had been rotting in Salem's prison. Yang's missing arm definitely wasn't a fresh injury and she had changed so much from the little girl with pigtails who had chased birds in the garden. She seemed tall, taller than Summer, and she was _buff_. Judging by the faint white scars on her knuckles, she must have taken after Tai and chosen hand-to-hand combat as her fighting style. It fit her personality, as far as she was able to judge from her behavior as a child.

In general, she looked so much like her father – but there was a lot that reminded Summer of Raven as well. A perfect mix of the two.

Sadness graced Summer's face at the memory of her old teammate leaving her child behind without a warning or even just giving some sort of reason. Tai had been shattered and she couldn't believe how a mother could abandon such a wonderful child. She pondered if Yang knew by now, but she was sure Tai hadn't kept it a secret for that long.

She realized that Yang had lost two mothers in her life. Maybe that was why she clung to her almost desperately – who was so unlucky to have their family stripped away from them in this way, twice?

Summer sighed. With Yang resting, she should look after her other daughter. According to the doctors, Ruby had woken up yesterday though had been asleep when Summer had come here a few hours ago. Maybe she could pay her a visit now.

***

Ruby groaned as she lost the third round of her scroll game in a row. Her head hurt and she wasn't at her peak performance, definitely not. But, considering what she had been through in the last weeks, she wasn't _that_ bad. Right? That, and the fact that she still had to get used to her vision being all weird and way smaller.

There was a knock on her door just as she started a new round. Stupid nurses, their timing always was absolutely inconvenient. "Yeah?" she said, not taking her eye from her scroll. They would only put new stuff into her IV or something anyway.

The door opened and someone gasped. Wow, rude. Ruby knew she looked like she'd just been rolled over by a truck, but still, _rude_. Had to be a new nurse. When her visitor wouldn't come closer after some time had passed, she said, "Can I help y—"

As soon as she made eye contact with the person standing in her room, everything else was forgotten. She knew who that was.

The two looked at each other in stunned silence before she whispered, "Are you real or is this the pain medication playing tricks on me?"

The woman laughed, a genuine, soft laugh, and wiped a tear from her eye. "No," she replied, "I'm real as far as I know." She came closer to Ruby's bed, approaching slowly and the younger woman could feel how she was looking her up and down. "It's just been… a very long time."

"Yeah," Ruby just said. "A very long time."

Summer sat down at the edge of her bed. "So, what now? Yang practically threw herself into my arms, what about you?" She grinned teasingly.

Ruby grinned back. "I'm just gonna do the exact same thing, then." And she surged forward, embracing her mother with everything she got.

The two laughed and started to cry at the same time. Nora had been right when she had told her about Salem's prison. After all, she had seen STRQ's photograph, too. Ruby didn't think her friend had been lying, Nora wasn't one to mess with her in such a way, but she had to admit that it had been hard to believe. And she had been… scared. Scared to have hope, only to be disappointed.

But it turned out to have been worth it, after all! "I'm so happy, Mom."

"Me too. I've waited for this day way too many years."

"I'm sorry for what happened to you… I'm sorry I couldn't… I'm sorry I was so late."

"No, Ruby." Summer pulled away to look her daughter in her eye. "You weren't late. Sometimes, the outcome is more important than the time it took to get there. You came right on time. And I don't even know how to thank you and you friends for saving me and the entire world."

Ruby smiled softly. "How about more hugs?"

"That I can provide."

Closing her eye, she leaned close and deeply inhaled the scent of Summer's hair. She could swear that her own red cloak smelled just like her, even after having been dragged through various forms of dirt, caked in blood and washed too many times to count. This was her mom. Her real, alive mom.

"I have to catch up on so many things…" the older woman mumbled. "I have no idea what has happened while I was gone. And I practically don't know anything about my own children. Except, do you still love cookies?"

"Of course!" Ruby beamed. "And I can't wait to eat some of yours again!"

Summer chuckled at that. Some things never changed, apparently. "Still, there's so much to learn for me…"

"Pffft! You'll get there eventually. After all, with the war being over and everything, we have plenty of time to do stuff together! We're in no rush, right?"

"No, hopefully not."

"Yang and I will be very patient with you, I promise." Summer smiled, but it vanished from her face only a moment after. She looked… concerned. "Mom?" Ruby asked curiously, "You okay?"

"Yes, it's just…"

"What?"

"It's…" Summer sighed. "How did you cope, thinking I was dead? You, Yang, Tai… Qrow?"

Ruby's mouth opened, but no words came out. Where was she supposed to start? "Oh, oof," she then laughed humorlessly, "this is… a _big_ question."

"I know." Summer took Ruby's hand. "I'm… worried. Even anxious, to come back into your life after making you think I was—you know."

"Oh, Mom…"

"I paid Yang a visit before I came to you." She gulped. "She was… Ruby, she cried for so long, and she… She constantly said she was sorry."

"Oh…"

"How… How has she been? You're handling this so well, and I was outright shocked to see you so full of joy when your sister… wasn't."

Ruby's gaze lowered to her hands, one still intertwined with Summer's. She looked… sad. "It's been hard without you," she finally whispered. "But I think it actually affected me the least. I was too small when you left, I guess. Don't get me wrong, I've always missed you and I often cried when I went to your grave and everything… But it has always been more of an emptiness that was bothering me – as if there was a hole where there should be something, and I didn't know how to fill it. I knew how you looked and I had this _one_ specific memory in my head, of you standing by the cliffs looking at the sunset, but I couldn't remember anything about… you. Your voice. Your laugh. The feeling of your hugs." She looked at her mother. "This— _you_ are actually very new. It's almost like meeting a stranger, but something inside of me tells me it's okay to trust you immediately and unconditionally."

Summer smiled. Ruby was how old now? 20? And she hadn't lost a spark of her cuteness, despite how beaten up she was looking right now.

"I was barely three when you 'died', but Yang was already five. She remembered a lot more about you and actually understood the concept of death. So did Dad and Qrow – so when you disappeared, not only was there the emptiness inside of them, they actually knew what had been ripped out from there. And that empty feeling – it never let go. It hurt. And all of them tried to get rid of the pain differently…" Ruby trailed off.

From the far-away look on her daughter's face, Summer knew that this was not the time to pry.

"Anyway, what I want to say is… I don't think Yang is actually sad that you're back. I think she's really, really happy. She probably had lot of old sadness inside of her and it finally has found a way to get out. Also, she's heavily concussed, so she might have overreacted."

"Didn't she talk to you about her feelings?"

Ruby shook her head. "Yang always was there for me but she hardly ever admitted that something was wrong with her. It has gotten better since she's been together with Blake, but before that… I guess she wanted to prove that she was strong and invulnerable. That she could take over the role of 'super-mom'." 

"Looking at you, she did more than well." Summer smiled but it didn't quite reach her eyes.

"Mom… I know you probably feel guilty for this… But it's not your fault. I, too, think that Yang did amazing! She promised to always protect me and she did. I wouldn't sit here if Yang hadn't been by my side. She still beats herself up for my eye but in the end it doesn't really matter. I'm here with my team, my friends, and even you now! And Salem is gone which means that Remnant is in a state of peace. Still messy, but, you know, better than in the last 100 years. Maybe even 200."

"You're right… I think the pain medication may have played a role as well. Nevertheless," Summer looked Ruby up and down, "can you walk?"

"Barely. My leg is kinda burned. From toe to thigh."

"Goodness. I'll organize a wheelchair for you."

"I'm not sure if I'm even allowed to leave my room…"

"Would you rather stay?"

"No! I'm so bored I would voluntarily listen to Dad's puns as a welcome change! We just don't tell anyone about it."

"I'll get a wheelchair then."


	3. Assemble

Yang woke slowly. The meds were still flowing through her system, addling her senses, and her head still felt as if it had been hit with a sledge hammer. Which wasn't that far from reality, thinking about it.

She felt movement on her bed and when she warily opened her eyes, she saw Summer sitting on the edge of the mattress, laughing. In front of her, Ruby was wildly gesticulating in a wheelchair while seemingly telling a funny story.

"… and then Weiss opened the door and the bucket fell directly on her head. Yang and I were almost choking from suppressing our laughter because she looked so miserable with her wet hair and the soaked skirt, but then she raised her rapier and _BAM_! We were frozen in two separate ice blocks! We couldn't move an inch and Weiss walked past us as if it was the most normal thing in the world. It was so cold! Only when Blake entered the dorm, like, ten minutes later, did Weiss melt the ice solely because Blake was getting mad at her because the melting ice would ruin the books under her bed!"

Summer chuckled. "Now I know why you called Weiss the 'Ice Queen' of Beacon."

"And that's not even everything!" Ruby continued enthusiastically. "Another time, Weiss was—oh Yang! You're awake! How was your nap? Are you in pain?"

"I'm good, only head and ribs are still acting up," Yang replied with a smile, her voice a little hoarse. "What are you doing here? You should be in bed."

"Ugh, not you too! It's just… a short trip. And I'm not even walking, Mom pushed me all the way here!"

Mom. Yang looked at Summer. The woman who may not have given birth to her but was a better parent than the person who did. Who loved her unconditionally even though they didn't share the same blood. Who never stopped loving her.

Who came back.

Who was going to stay.

"Oh, honey," Summer cooed and only then did Yang notice the tears gathering in her eyes.

She wiped them away hastily before they could run down her cheeks – she had already cried enough today. As she did, Summer scooted a little closer to her and squeezed her knee. "Yang. It's okay. We're here for you."

She sniffed. The tears kept flowing against her will. Summer's hand wandered from her leg to her face, brushing them away gently.

"I-I'm…" Yang choked out, "I'm just so happy to see you. The both of you." 

"I'm also happy!" Ruby chimed in, throwing her mother a smug look, though her face turned soft right after. "And… thank you, sis."

Yang frowned. "Thank you for what?"

"Well… for fighting by my side. For saving me. For being the best sister I could have ever wished for!"

"But… your eye…"

"Pfft, my eye." Ruby tapped against the gauze over her head. "That's why you have two of these, so it's not that bad if you lose one."

"I don't think that's how it works."

"I don't care how it works. I care about being here with you."

Ruby smiled and Yang's heart filled with a warm feeling of pride. Her sister took her injury so well, her positivity almost scared her. "You're right, we shouldn't see this as a hindrance. If anything – we can be pirate sisters now!"

Ruby giggled and mimicked a hook with her index finger. "Arrr- _right_ , First Mate Xiao Long!"

"Aye aye, Captain Rose! Or dare I say – _eye eye_?" Yang placed her hand over one half of her face, making her sister laugh and groan simultaneously, with Summer chuckling amusedly.

"Glad to see that you two are still getting along so well. I—"

A knock interrupted her and the door opened to yet another nurse. "Excuse me," the man said, "but I thought you would like to be informed that Ms. Schnee has woken up. She is still very weak but as your teammates, you are allowed to pay her a visit."

"Weiss!" Ruby squeaked, already grabbing her wheels and maneuvering around Yang's bed.

The nurse gave her a stern look. "Ms. Rose, I'm not stupid. You aren't even allowed to be out of bed. So please, if you must break the rules, do it in a way that isn't too much of a strain on your healing body."

"I'll push you," Summer offered to her daughter who only replied with an annoyed huff. She then turned to Yang. "I'll get you out of here in a second, too."

The nurse turned around and left the room with a sigh. "I'll just pretend I didn't hear that."

***

Getting Yang into the wheelchair wasn't as easy as it had been with Ruby, but with their combined efforts, they managed just fine. Yang didn't even have to vomit from all the movement. As Summer pushed her through the hallways, she was actually excited to meet Ruby's partner properly. She had seen her for only a second before Ruby had hauled herself into her room to greet her and Summer saw it best to give them a minute for themselves. In the short time she had talked with her daughter, Ruby's stories always included Weiss. She seemed quite fond of her.

"Mom?" Yang suddenly said, interrupting her thoughts.

"What is it, honey?"

The blonde turned around, looking up at her. "Does Dad know?"

"That I'm here? Of course. Your uncle and I went to Patch as soon as the message of your victory had come through. Your dad then told me where I could find you. Unfortunately he's still busy with clearing the last remaining Grimm on the island so it'll take him another week or so until he can visit."

"And… how's he doing?" Summer detected concern in Yang's voice.

"Oh, he was shocked to see me, thought I was some sort of ghost. But I eventually could convince him otherwise." 

Yang fidgeted with her hospital gown, facing forward again. "I'm glad to hear he's well. I haven't seen him in a long time. Our last meeting was… awkward, to say the least."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, it was right before we all left for the journey to the Dark Realm, more than a year ago. I didn't know how to say goodbye, or what to do when he started crying." She gulped. "I couldn't stand the thought of him losing us because I knew he wouldn't have been able to handle it."

Summer saw what Yang was implying. Maybe Tai hadn't fared as well as he proclaimed to. "I'm sorry," she just said. "But trust me, he's fine and very proud of you. He even recorded the news when they announced your victory."

"He's a dork," Yang chuckled, her mood having lightened a little. "Ah, we're here." She knocked on the door from her sitting position, waiting patiently until she heard a familiar voice allow them to come in.

Weiss was resting in her bed, though sitting upright and actually looking less beaten up than her teammates. Summer had frowned a little when she spotted her white hair the first time – until she connected the dots, remembering how the nurse had mentioned her last name was "Schnee".

"He-yah!" Ruby beamed from next to the bed. She was holding the pale girl's hand.

"Hello," Weiss said, "and nice to see you, Yang and Mrs. Rose."

"Please, call me Summer." She extended her hand after parking Yang on the other side of the bed and Weiss shook it with a surprisingly firm grip. "How are you doing? You've not been awake for that long, but you look staggeringly good compared to my daughters."

"HEY!" both Ruby and Yang yelled and it made both Summer and Weiss chuckle.

"Well, I've mostly fought from the backline with summons and Dust, so I could stay out of the close-quarter fights and avoid most physical attacks. Against the Death Stalker venom, I didn't fare that well, unfortunately."

"Don't say that." Ruby looked at her like a scolding parent. "You fought for sooooo long despite being poisoned! Just because you were so smart and tightened one of your belts around your leg, preventing the poison from spreading faster."

"It's venom, actually—"

"Hush! You were amazing and now stop making it sound like you weren't."

Weiss sighed. "Alright."

"Aren't they cute together," Yang said while shooting Summer a smug grin.

"W-we're not—" Ruby blurted out.

"This—we—it's not—" Weiss stammered.

Yang roared with laughter until her damaged ribs made her gasp for air.

"Karma," Summer whispered and apparently only Weiss heard it, judging from how she tried to hide her smirk with a roll of her eyes. Summer liked the girl. She articulated herself in a very sophisticated way – if she wasn't spluttering from embarrassment – but she appeared just as open and warm as the sisters. Surprising for someone coming from that kind of family but Summer knew better than defining someone by their bloodline.

Also, Ruby _really_ liked her. She trusted her daughter's judgement.

The four chatted for some time until Weiss had to admit that she was close to falling asleep mid-conversation and excused herself to get more rest. The antidote was still weakening her system considerably. One by one, Summer wheeled the other two girls out and back to their rooms, tucking them in and advising them to follow Weiss's example. They did, gladly, and hugged her tightly before she left, though not without making her promise to come by tomorrow.

As Summer waved at Ruby and closed the door, she couldn't help but wonder about the fourth member of the team. Blake was her name and she was Yang's partner, apparently in more ways that just teammates. Looking at the time, she realized she had another half hour until her ship left for Patch.

"Excuse me," she asked the hospital staff, "do you know where I can find – I don't know her last name – Blake? One of the huntresses that defeated Salem? I'm the mother of her team leader."

"You mean Blake Belladonna?" a young doctor replied. "She's still in critical condition and not allowed to receive visitors."

Summer's eyes widened. Critical condition? "W-where can I find her? Where's her room?"

The doctor flipped through his files. "I can accompany you there, I have to check on a patient a little further down the hall."

"Thank you, that would be great."

Walking behind the doctor, a feeling of dread began spreading in Summer's core. She followed him until he gestured to a room to her right. "She's in here. You are prohibited of entering; only staff is allowed, so please keep that in mind."

"Did anyone notify her guardians?"

"We keep them informed about their daughter's condition via video calls. They are fine, though too injured to travel from where they live in Menagerie."

With a few more steps, Summer came closer to the window to Blake's room, stealing a glance inside. Her face fell at the sight of the young woman hooked up to multiple machines. Her arms were littered in cuts and burns and a mask helped her breathe. Her eyes fell on the pair of cat ears in the midst of her short, dark hair. Menagerie. Was she related to the White Fang leader?

Summer stepped back and took a deep breath. She had to think of the poor parents, not being able to see or help Blake. If they, like Tai, had last seen their child well over a year ago and then were hit with the news of her near death…

She turned to the doctor. "When is the next time you call her parents?"


	4. Incomplete

"Uno!"

"Ugh, you're cheating!"

"You already said that when we played Monopoly."

"Well, you're just cheating all the time!"

"I'm not, it's just my big sister powers giving me an advantage over you. Also, I haven't even won yet. So calm down, maybe the tide will turn."

"Pfff, alright. I'm playing, uh… Ha! Draw two!"

"No."

"… No?"

"You," Yang slowly laid down her last card, "draw four."

" _WHAT_ ," Ruby yelled, staring at the +2 card on top of hers. "How—"

"Please," Weiss sighed from her seat, "can you be _any_ louder?" She and Summer were watching the news in the common room, sipping coffees. The current report about the steady decline of Grimm sightings interested them both.

"Looks like there aren't any new creatures spawning since Salem's defeat," Summer said. "Soon, hunters will have the remaining ones cleared."

"Indeed," Weiss replied.

The two got along well, enjoying the antics of the two sisters – who were beyond restless at this point – but not always wishing to partake in their plays. Especially Weiss wasn't eager to lose round after round in any game Yang laid her hand on.

Watching the team's dynamic, Summer often wondered how Blake would fit in there. Ruby had described her as mysterious and calm, sometimes reserved. Then again, she also talked about her wit and dry humor, her hidden steamy romance novels and her comical love for fish. Yang, of course, only ever mentioned the best qualities of her partner – how she was determined and just, strong and stealthy, and exceptionally smart.

She would love to meet her. But every time Blake's name fell, she felt her heart stop for a second. They all didn't know how bad the Faunus was actually doing. They thought she was, like Weiss, knocked out due to pure exhaustion which made sense considering Blake had been in the middle of a Dust explosion that had pulverized her Aura.

Having spent some time with the girls, Summer eventually got told the story of the fight against Salem. As Weiss had already mentioned, she used her summons and Dust to keep the rest of her team free of any distractions. As more and more Grimm started swarming the castle while the others were attacking Salem, there came a point where there just were too many monsters to successfully keep at bay. Weiss was grazed by a baby Death Stalker, just as venomous as the big ones, and only managed to defend herself for a few more minutes before she was forced to seal the gates with ice and return to her friends. As she arrived, the venom was already taking its toll and she could only summon small Boarbatusks from afar, slowly losing the feeling in her legs.

Meanwhile, Blake and Yang bombarded Salem with team attacks, Ruby leading them and firing otherwise deadly shots, though primarily readying her powers. Despite her training, she was far from being a professional Silver Eyed Warrior and struggled a little with getting into her mental safe space to activate the famous silver light. The stress and the fear kept her from using her powers until Weiss stumbled into the room. From then on, Ruby was a tornado of raw determination, furiously fighting the Witch who, unfortunately, knew how to defend herself against her Silver Eyes. She slowed Ruby down by burning her leg and took her eye – a smart and almost lethal move if Ruby had been alone.

Yang had never reacted calmly when her little sister got hurt – at that moment, she didn't see a difference between a bully, a Grimm, and the person capable of drowning the world in darkness. She saw Ruby, and she acted while Blake hurried to her leader's side. Yang managed to fight Salem one-on-one for an incredible amount of time thanks to her Semblance, dishing out punches and kicks as well as displaying clever dodges and counters. But in the end, she knew she was only buying time for her team. Her Aura ran out and Salem bound her to the floor with Grimm arms shooting out of the ground, pulling the brawler down to her knees. Weiss's summon saved her when the arms started crushing her in their grasp, losing interest in the already unconscious girl and instead stacking the shining white boar by flinging Yang's limp body against a pillar. Contrary to RWBY's fight against Torchwick's mech, Yang didn't get up after that.

After having inspected Ruby's wound and watched her partner being knocked out, Blake knew that they couldn't keep going like this. Soon, Grimm would tear through Weiss's frozen blockade. She quickly talked with her leader and left the scene, slipping into the catacombs underneath the castle. The plan was to destroy the building with a bomb as an absolute last resort, even though it would likely mean RWBY's own death. But they had no choice.

In reality, the bomb was piles of mixed Dust crystals, courtesy of the SDC and stolen by the ex-heiress herself, with a trail of Dust powder connecting the heaps to cause a chain of detonations. Blake succeeded in her task and the ground of the castle gave in on itself, the building crumpling and burying Salem underneath. Ruby managed to dash out thanks to her Semblance, grabbing her sister and partner and dragging them just outside the ruin. There she also dealt the final blow to Salem who had managed to crawl out of the rubble, wounded and weakened.

All of this happened while the girls' friends opened the prison cells and evacuated everyone to the woods of Vale. They ordered the nearby hospitals to send their airships and Ironwood made sure to bring some soldiers to secure the area. These were the ones who found the girls passed out next to Salem's petrified statue which they immediately reduced to a pile of rubble. After that, the team was transported home safely.

And that's the point where Summer received the _real_ ending from Blake's parents.

Weiss and Yang were found lying next to each other, Ruby a few yards away at Salem's body. But Blake wasn't found with them. In fact, Blake was found two entire hours _after_ her teammates.

Apparently, despite managing to plant the bombs, the makeshift fuse wasn't long enough for her to seek cover in time. When the bombs went off, Blake was hit by the blast and then buried under the debris near a pool of black goo by the castle, far off from her team. It was a miracle that she had been found at all. Unfortunately, her condition was appropriately much worse and much more critical, her life hanging by a thread. The slime had made contact with her skin and doctors were still assessing the damage it had done, without success.

When Summer joined the doctor's video call, Blake's parents were shocked to see her, having been aware of her "death". But they trusted her, thankful for looking after their daughter until they were able to make the trip from Menagerie. It tugged at Summer's heart to see these parents longing for their child, shaken to their very core and beyond afraid of the next call being news about her health getting worse, unable to even hold Blake's hand. Summer promised to do everything in her powers to ensure Blake would be fine and the gratitude in the Faunus' eyes was worth sticking around the hospital a little longer each day.

Secretly, of course. Because Blake's team hadn't been told how their fourth member had barely been hanging on to dear life.

But maybe it was better that way, even though Summer could see Yang's sadness in her eyes whenever she watched Ruby and Weiss bicker and laugh together.

Ruby had told her that Yang wasn't good at dealing with loss, stemming from her life of being left behind by the people she loved – and who loved her. Summer didn't want to risk anything by telling her that it had almost happened again, or that it wasn't even clear if Blake would wake up at all.

Summer didn't like what she was doing, definitely not. But it was necessary.

***

The more time passed, the more restless and distressed Yang became, and the more painfully the claw tightened around Summer's heart. Two weeks after her first video call with Blake's parents, Weiss and Yang were finally discharged and free to go if they promised to take it easy, especially Yang with her head injury. Ruby still had to stay for a while and get her leg properly treated to keep the scarring to a minimum, though the burn would definitely be visible forever. Ruby took it with fortitude, claiming that she now had to shave less. Also her eye was completely lost and the socket had to be cleaned daily – an affair that made Weiss gag every time – but again, Ruby was looking forward to buy cool eyepatches or build an artificial eye that would give her night vision. Not to mention that she now was Weiss's "scar buddy".

The positivity and optimism radiating from the chipper leader spread to her teammates and even the staff, but it still couldn't win against the worry festering inside of Yang with every day they didn't get any news on Blake. Not waking up for three weeks was bad and there was no way to deny the fact that something was wrong with the Faunus.

"Mom," Yang finally said when the two were getting snacks at the hospital's kiosk, "can I ask you something?"

"Sure, honey."

"Will you go to the ward's doctor with me?"

Summer raised her brow. "Of course. Why do you want to see him? Are you not feeling well?"

"No." Yang took a soda out of the fridge. "I don't feel well, but not in that sense. I'm… I have a bad feeling. With Blake. I want to see her."

Summer sighed, biting her lip. She knew the day would come where her daughter couldn't sit by idly anymore. Yang was a person of action – if anything, Summer was surprised she hadn't tried to get into Blake's room _sooner_. "Okay. Let's do it before we go back home; Ruby wants to spend some more time with us. Poor thing is getting bored to death in this facility."

Yang grinned a little. "Oh please, you know she's only looking forward to seeing Weiss. She wouldn't even notice that we'd be gone for long."

"I'm wounded by your words. But you're right. Nevertheless, let's get back and buy some of her love with these cookies."

Again, Yang grinned, somewhat wider than before but the smile still didn't quite reach her eyes.

The time until evening rolled around was hard for her. She was distracted, tense. She even lost against Ruby at Ludo and sometimes Weiss had to call her name twice for her to react. So, when visitor hours were close to being over, Yang was practically vibrating with a mix of concern, anticipation and raw dread. Not that Summer could blame her…

They told Weiss to stay with Ruby alone for a minute – an easy request, the two were practically glued together – while Yang and Summer claimed to have a talk with a doctor because of the blonde's concussion.

As they closed the door, Summer started walking towards the hallway to their left. "Shouldn't we ask a nurse where we can find Blake?" Yang asked, fidgeting with the hem of her yellow sweat jacket.

"No," Summer replied with a sigh. "Follow me for a bit."

Yang did so until they reached a different common room from the one they used to stay in. The older woman took a deep breath. "Yang, you have to listen to me, okay?"

Yang nodded, confusion clear in her eyes.

"I already know where Blake is. I got curious because you always talked about her and so I decided to go look for her." She took Yang's hand. "Blake is… not doing well. She got hit pretty hard by the Dust explosion and was buried under the debris of the castle for a long time before she was found. She also touched the black liquid the Grimm used to spawn out of."

Yang's lilac eyes widened in horror. "What… Y-you knew…?"

"I did. And… I hated not telling you, but you had to recover yourself and you wouldn't have done that if your head had been filled with worry for Blake."

The blonde looked away with trembling lips, being obviously conflicted – Summer could see her emotions rush over her in record time.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I didn't mean to keep it from you out of spite or anything. I see how much she means to you. I hoped I could protect you while you were still healing. "

Yang sniffed. "She means everything to me, Mom."

Summer gently moved forward into a hug which her daughter tenderly reciprocated. After a few seconds, she said, "Should we pay her a visit now?"

Yang nodded against her collarbone and the two ended the embrace. Summer took Yang's hand and gently led her to Blake's room. She only let go once they stood in front of its window and took a step back to give Yang some space.

Slowly, the blonde approached the glass and took a look inside. Summer saw her tense up and heard her gasp before her hand shot up to cover her mouth in shock. She turned around with her eyes already flowing over with tears.

"S-she's not in there…"

Summer's eyes shot wide open and she hurried next to her daughter only to see an empty bed where Blake had lay just yesterday. Immediately, she looked left and right until she spotted a nurse and called out to her, "Where is the patient from room 408?!"

The poor woman didn't know what was going on but promised to check the hospital's relocation files. While she searched, Yang was close to hyperventilating and her hand shook uncontrollably which Summer quickly tried to calm by taking it in hers.

Blake's state couldn't have worsened so drastically overnight. And even if so, they would have informed them as soon as possible; they had all their scroll numbers as emergency contacts. No. There was a logical explanation for why Blake had been moved. There had to be.

"Here," the nurse finally said, "Belladonna, Blake. Hospitalized 20 days ago. She's currently getting an MRI."

"Where would that be?"

"Ma'am, I can't let you—"

"I don't want to barge in there, I want to wait like a civilized person until she's finished."

"Oh." The nurse awkwardly bit her lip. "Uh, in that case… It's the right ward on the fifth floor. You can't miss it, it's well-signposted."

"Thanks." Without further ado, Summer turned and left, Yang in tow. "Because they couldn't have told us in advance," she muttered to herself, clearly agitated by the lack of professionalism. She had been here every single day, the staff knew her, and they still didn't find it necessary to tell her. Intangible.

Yang stayed silent on their little journey, her anxiety having lessened a little, but Summer could still feel the slight tremble in her hand.

"I'm sorry, honey. I didn't mean to get you even more upset."

"It's not your fault. You didn't know."

After some more waiting – during which Yang texted Weiss because it was already getting quite late – an elderly doctor welcomed them, having been informed already. "I can reassure you, Ms. Belladonna is in no immediate danger," he calmly said as she shook both women's hands, careful to use his left one with Yang. "However, she didn't respond to certain medications that were supposed to wake her up. Also, a nurse saw her eyes move under her eyelids as if she were in REM phase. As one MRI appointment was cancelled, we spontaneously decided to put her here. I apologize if you were worried, that was never our intention and we would have given you information on the procedure as soon as possible."

"Thank you for your efforts," Summer replied, though a little harshly. "What exactly are you looking for or hoping to find, if I may ask?"

"In general, we wanted to get a clear image of her recent metabolism concerning her brain activity. Ms. Belladonna should be done shortly; I propose you stay here and wait for the results."

And wait they did. Weiss and Ruby joined them after some time, much to their surprise. They weren't as surprised when Ruby told them that she had snuck out (though "sneaking" was maybe the wrong term considering she still was using crutches) and they weren't _at all_ surprised when Weiss explained how she bribed the receptionist to let them through.

After some time, the doctor returned and invited them into an office. The discussion was short and kept simple: He explained how Blake's head was doing fine, showed them some pictures where certain areas of her brain were highlighted and admitted that she indeed appeared to be sleeping but was not reacting to stimuli that should normally wake her up. He promised to resume further tests in the next few days and keep them updated.

Saying goodbye, Summer couldn't help but feel uneasy. In the elevator, she decided she had to try something.

"Girls," she said once the doors were closed, "I'm going to do something that probably is illegal and will likely get me banned from the hospital if anyone finds out."

They looked at her, eyes wide as saucers.

"Would you be willing to help me?"

They nodded yes.

"I knew I could count on you."

As they exited the elevator, she heard Weiss whisper to Ruby, "I now see where you got your morally questionable impulses from."


	5. Slumber

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, I have no idea how to properly tag things that could trigger someone, so this is my clumsy attempt at doing it anyway.
> 
> Warning: blood and other nasty injuries

The plan was simple.

"Hello," Ruby sang as she and Weiss passed the bribed receptionist. "We're back and she's going home right after getting her things from my room. Thank you for being so… _kind_."

"Any time," the man replied, smugly grinning at the two women walking past the counter – and probably thinking about what he'd buy with his sweet, sweet bribe money.

Ruby scratched her neck shyly. "Actually…"

"Please fall for it…" Yang whispered from where she was watching the whole scene with Summer.

"When I left, I had trouble with the bed's remote and the backrest moved all weird. Can you have a look at it maybe?"

The man looked at his screen, quickly decided that his work was much worse than fixing a bed, and left his place.

Less than a minute later, Weiss stepped out of Ruby's room, shooting a thumbs-up at the other two women. "Coast is clear," she whispered and together, they power-walked through the halls, avoiding wandering nurses and doctors like the plague, until they reached Blake's room.

The Faunus was back in her bed, still and unmoving like before though she didn't wear the respiratory mask anymore. Good.

As nobody had followed or seen them yet, they quickly slipped inside. Yang closed the blinds and Weiss texted Ruby that everything had worked so far. "Okay," Summer whispered, "I need you to keep watch, Yang. Weiss, you have an eye on Blake – be ready to hold her down if she starts to flail or kick. Use your Glyphs if you must."

The girls nodded, taking position.

Summer sat down on a chair next to Blake, took a calming breath, and put a hand on the Faunus' forehead. She closed her eyes and called upon her Semblance – hopefully she hadn't gone rusty over the years. 

"Come on, Blake…"

A white, blinding light slowly appeared behind her eyelids, spreading until all she could see was blankness. It was pulling at her, sucking her in, and she had to watch out not to give in too quickly. Slowly, gradually, step by step. Sense after sense, not everything at once.

There. Sound.

"… here, Blake. There is no use in running, even though it's the only thing you were ever capable of." The male voice sounded vicious and absolutely pleased with himself. A _shwing_ , a sword being drawn, cut through the background noise of crackling flames and thunder. Someone whimpered, a female as it seemed.

The smell of burnt wood and plastic. Smoke. The iron stench of blood. By the Gods, where was she? 

"Good job, Adam. I knew you would be of use one day." That was the Witch. The Witch was here. 

"Thank you. I already… _prepared_ them for you." 

When Summer allowed sight and touch to appear together, she couldn't believe where she found herself. She was at Beacon, the cafeteria, but it was a mess of debris and fire. The sky was swarming with all sorts of flying Grimm, the moon a deep red and bathing everything in a bloody light. It was gruesome. 

And in the middle of it – five stakes to which five people were bound, barely able to stand. 

Ruby, her face covered in blood from her missing eye. 

Weiss, a spear perforating her abdomen. 

Yang, her right arm dangling from her shoulder by a mess of torn muscle and skin. 

Kali and Ghira, both covered in cuts, bruises, and horrible burns made by branding irons. 

"No, please…" the female voice of a moment ago begged and Summer heard the desperation and hurt pouring from her words. 

"Quiet!" Adam yelled, turning Summer's attention to her right just in time to see a man dressed in black backhand Blake who then curled up on the floor. She whimpered but stayed down. 

Salem, watching from next to the masked man, raised her hand. "Enough. I appreciate your determination, but don't beat her to death before the others are dealt with." 

Adam grumbled, sword still in his hand and ready to strike, but he obey and took a step back. 

"Now," Salem continued, "we promised you a show, Belladonna, and you are going to get one. Please, rise, child." 

With great effort, the Faunus girl pushed herself up onto wobbly legs and only now did Summer register her profusely bleeding stomach wound. 

"Follow me." 

The three people walked – limped, in Blake's case – to the stakes so they directly faced their captives. A disgusting smirk made its way onto Adam's face when he lifted Ruby's low hanging head with the blade of his sword, inspecting with great satisfaction the damage that had been done to her. 

Enough. Summer could see his hand twitching on his hilt. The man was about to cruelly execute all of them right before Blake's eyes. This would be a blood bath on a whole new level, serving to break Blake's spirit and soul. She had to stop this. 

"Hey!" she shouted, catching everyone's attention. 

Salem frowned. "What are _you_ doing here?" So Blake knew who Summer was. 

She raised her hand high in the air. "Getting you out of here, Blake." A staff summoned into her palm, making Blake's eyes widen in awe. 

Adam snarled and immediately went for an attack, running towards her. Summer didn't even flinch and just stomped her staff onto the ground. A shock wave knocked him over and he skidded back to Salem's side. 

"Let her go. You do not have the upper hand in her own realm." 

"What are you saying?" Salem motioned for Adam to stay where he was and called upon her own magic, colorful spheres circling her palms. 

"I'm stating the rules." Summer looked at Blake. "It's your dream. Take control." 

Blake's mouth opened and closed without any words leaving her lips. 

Summer smiled. "Trust me." Pointing her staff at the sky, the Grimm vanished one by one. "Have you ever heard of lucid dreaming?" 

It seemed to dawn on Blake what she meant and she closed her eyes in concentration. A moment later, the hole in her stomach closed and only left behind a faint pink scar. 

"You learn quickly. Keep going." 

"No!" Salem screeched before she evaporated into a cloud of black steam. The smoke wafting around the building joined it in a tornado of fumes, circling around Adam until the vortex was lifting him up. With a horrid scream, he was flung into the air, disappearing in the sky. 

Blake gasped confusedly when she opened her eyes again. She looked around and settled her gaze on Summer who was slowly approaching her and offering her a hand. "It's quite easy once you get the hang of it. And you seem to have a great amount of imagination. Should we take care of the rest together?" 

As the Faunus took the woman's hand, the cafeteria rebuilt itself, the rubble lifting from the ground and floating to its former place. Summer remembered Goodwitch, one of the newer teachers at Beacon, showing powers like this. She had watched her for a long time, to a point where it may have been considered creepy, but she had observed her in order to be able to mimic her Semblance. 

Meanwhile, Blake went for the stakes with her friends and family. "It's a dream," she breathed out, tightening her grip around Summer's hand. The wounds on the people in front of her vanished, healed. The ropes loosened and disappeared along with the poles. As Summer had presumed, the figures only were hollow puppets without personalities, solely meant to be tortured for the visual show, and kept standing there aimlessly. Nevertheless, to see that Blake had immediately gone for their well-being brought a smile to her face. 

Once Summer had changed the sky's color to a natural blue and added some clouds, the Faunus hesitantly turned her head towards her, ears still folded backwards in uncertainty. "Thank you... Mrs. Rose." 

"It's Summer, dear. And oh, that wasn't a big deal at all. Let's clean up the rest, then we can return." 

"Return… where?" 

"Home." 

Ruby and the others dissolved into colorful clouds of dust, red mixing with yellow, white and shades of purple. The cafeteria, the trees, the ground and the sky blurred together until it felt as if the two women were looking through tinted glass. A gust of air gently carried it all away, creating a harmless whirlwind around them and blowing the entire scene into the sky until Summer and Blake were floating in an empty, white space. Seeing Blake slightly panic at the lack of solid ground under her feet, Summer let go of her staff (which continued to float next to her) and took her other hand as well. 

"Relax. You have to wake up now." 

"H-how do I do that?" 

"I can help you if you want to." A wooden door formed next to them. "Go through here. We'll meet on the other side. And, not in a _death_ kind of way. If anything, it's the very opposite." 

Confused, the Faunus awkwardly teetered towards the door and turned the knob. There wasn't anything behind it besides infinite darkness but Summer reassured her it was the right way. So Blake took a step into the void – and another, and another, until the door closed behind her by itself. 

With a gasp, she shot up in her hospital bed. 


	6. Awakening

"Blake! Blake, calm down!"

When Summer opened her eyes again, she was greeted by Weiss and her daughter leaning over Blake's body, keeping her in check by firmly, yet gently, holding down her arms and legs in an effort to keep the startled girl from falling off the bed. Blake herself seemed to be disoriented and panicked, judging by how frantically her eyes were scanning her surroundings.

Summer tried to stand up but felt more than a little woozy and decided to stay in her seat for a minute longer. Heck, she had become rusty after all. How embarrassing. Still, despite her slight vertigo, she could help soothe Blake from her admittedly frightening trip back home.

"Blake, please listen. You are in a hospital in Vale." Upon hearing her voice, the black haired girl looked towards her, recognition ghosting over her face. "You were trapped, but you're home now. You are safe. So are your friends and your parents."

Blake's breathing was still ragged but she didn't fight against her teammates pushing her down anymore, leaning back into her pillow. "W-w…" she stuttered, followed by a nasty cough. Her throat had to be drier than Vacuo's deserts.

"Stay with her, talk to her," Summer ordered the girls, "I'll get some water and try not to get busted." 

She was back quickly and even managed to sneak by any hospital staff, only almost spilling the drink in her hands due to her still pretty wobbly legs. But after all, she hadn't quite had the opportunity to uphold her skills in a lonely, wet dungeon, so who could blame her for her mediocre performance.

Back in Blake's room, the Faunus already was notably calmer with Yang holding her hand tenderly, tears in everyone's eyes.

"Welcome back, again," Summer chuckled when she handed Blake the glass which the Faunus chugged down within a couple of seconds. "How do you feel?"

Blake thought for a moment. "Very drained," she said with a frown, "and I have a massive headache. Apart from that, I think I'm actually alright."

Weiss huffed. "You should have seen yourself during the fight against Salem. You're lucky your wounds healed that well."

"I… don't remember much from the fight." Blake looked at Yang in concern. "But we won?"

"We did." Yang smiled. "You saved us all. Salem is dead."

A relieved sigh escaped the Faunus and she went for a kiss with the blonde, Weiss politely looking away. Summer caught her gaze and the two rolled their eyes in mocked annoyance.

"So, Blake, this is my mother, as you might have noticed. She apparently is not dead and has been at the hospital for weeks now, looking after us. And, Mom – this is Blake, my partner and girlfriend. She is super awesome and apparently, also not dead."

Weiss groaned, but Summer couldn't help but laugh. "Nice to meet you again, this time in the real world."

"Likewise."

"Wait, what," Yang interrupted. "Did I miss something?"

Summer chuckled. "It's my Semblance, honey. I used it to wake Blake up and paid her a visit in her dream – well, nightmare. I have the power to control dreams and form them to my desire. But I can also join others when they're dreaming and interact with them in their mind."

"You mentioned lucid dreaming," Blake added.

"Exactly. It's basically a very advanced form of it. I haven't done it with another person in nearly two decades, though, so sorry if my presence was a little wonky. I'm horribly out of practice."

"This is so weird," Yang whispered.

"Well, nobody can choose their Semblance. I could list about 20 people off the top of my head who would immediately trade theirs for another one."

"Is Uncle Qrow one of them?"

"Yes."

"Okay, I see your point. But your Semblance is actually really—oh my gosh, wait, by the way, can you do that dream travelling with me as well some day?!" Yang suddenly got all excited. "You could come over and we could build an awesome garden, and a house, and then we put a ton of dogs in there and it's just us petting them!"

"You sound like Ruby," Weiss commented dryly.

"Oh come on, as if you wouldn't like to dream of petting that many dogs."

"Girls," Summer intervened, visibly amused, "I appreciate your… _hype_ for my abilities but it's not a party trick or a toy. Most importantly, your dreams are your own and I won't invade them, even if you – forcefully – invite me. This was an emergency because Blake couldn't leave her nightmare by herself. I'm not rentable for fun."

"She was _trapped_ in a dream?" Summer could hear the suspicion pouring into Weiss's words.

"I've done my fair share of research on dreams due to my Semblance and the fact that there was no reaction whatsoever from Blake's side towards multiple stimuli was beyond concerning. It's the first time I've heard of someone not exiting the REM phase for so long but it's also the first time I've encountered a living being that survived contact with the Dark Realm's slime; not counting Salem. Keeping in mind that Grimm emerged out of these pools and are literal walking nightmares, combined with what happened in Blake's dream, I am quite confident that there was some sort of connection. You know how it's sometimes hard to wake up if a nightmare has a tight hold on you, so maybe that disgusting goo just brought it to a whole new level."

Blake shrugged. "Well, you got me out of there after all. Thank you for your effort. I… don't want to know what would have happened if you hadn't helped me out of there."

"I'd do anything to save my daughter's girlfriend, especially if she's a keeper like you." Summer followed that sentence with a cocky wink which made both Blake and Yang blush, much to Weiss's amusement. "By the way, maybe my _other_ daughter would be thrilled to join our—"

Out of the blue, the door opened and an elderly nurse entered. "Oh," she let out upon spotting the weird little group, "am I… interrupting?"

"You aren't," Yang replied awkwardly after a stiff few moments of silence, "but I guess you should inform someone that Blake Belladonna is awake. And that this, us, here, is absolutely allowed and approved by all the doctors. Definitely."

***

Twenty minutes and a hefty speech from approximately half of the entire medical staff later, everyone except Blake found themselves back in Ruby's room. Of course did the hospital have a problem with them violating orders and restrictions, and of course did nobody thank Summer for bringing Blake back. Of course. A simple _thank you_ was too much of a hassle, apparently.

"Mom, stop sulking, I'm sure they'll soon come back and appreciate what you did." Ruby, ever the infinite source of positivity, had just been updated on what had happened and it had taken the effort of everyone present to stop her from trying to launch herself out of bed and run towards Blake.

"I know they will," Summer grumbled, "but having the audacity to kick us out like a bunch of misbehaving kids in a mall…"

"They were worried about Blake, like us. It just confirms that they care."

"If you say so…"

Yang sighed. "I hope Blake is fine."

"I guess that in the end, she'll be out of here sooner than Ruby." Weiss shot her partner a sassy look when she heard her sputter next to her. "That wasn't intended as an insult, you dolt. For once."

Ruby just huffed at that. Summer knew how she absolutely despised being chained to this facility but even a hunter's Aura couldn't heal her injuries in a shorter amount of time. Though by now, her wounds already looked much better than just a week prior. Ruby should be able to walk without help in a handful of days, and after that it was merely another few weeks of physical therapy until she was back to her old, speedy self. She was already able to take care of her eye without any help which she was very proud of, contrary to Weiss who still couldn't handle even thinking about the empty eye socket beneath her partner's bandage.

At least, her team was by her side and made Ruby's stay a tad more survivable. Yang was always up for games and Weiss coddled her partner like a worried mother hen. Summer was… somewhere in the middle of the two. But most of the time, they were just talking, sharing stories and adventures. The Gods know they had plenty to tell each other.

A nervous nurse entered the room after knocking, telling them that they could return to Blake's room now. The Faunus was, as expected, doing well and the doctor who called them merely went through a brief summary of Blake's state of health. He scolded the group once more, threatening them with a permanent expulsion if they as much as _thought_ about breaking the rules again, and ordered them to return tomorrow afternoon because Blake would have to partake in some more tests.

They quickly shared goodbyes, promising to swing by the next day, and split up to return to their shared Airbnb they had decided to rent some time ago, or their hospital room in Ruby's case.

The way home was quiet and Summer could tell that Weiss and Yang were exhausted but they also radiated a type of calmness that seemed to only have come with the knowledge that Blake was out of danger.

The three got ready for bed shortly upon arrival. Just as Summer prepared a glass of water for herself, Yang peeked inside the kitchen.

"What's up, honey? Do you need something?"

"Kinda…" Yang scratched her neck. "I think I need a hug right now."

"Any time." Summer opened her arms and Yang melted into the embrace, breathing a deep sigh into her mother's shoulder.

"Thank you for bringing Blake back."

"I'd do anything for you. And if Blake makes you happy, that's just more of a reason to break the law."

Summer felt Yang smile. "She's the best. I don't know where I'd be without her…"

"You really are head over heels for her, huh?"

"Shut up," Yang murmured playfully, "I bet you and Dad will be just as disgusting when you two are in the same room again."

"Oh, you know it. Tai also won't stop embarrassing you for sure, and once he starts with the dad jokes—"

"O-oh, sorry." Weiss had appeared in the doorway, surprised to find the other two standing there hugging. "I… didn't want to intrude, I'll just—Sorry. Nevermind."

"Don't be silly and c'mere." Yang opened the embrace. "I think we have enough space for exactly one Ice Queen if my calculations are correct. And they always are, because I slayed at calculus back in Beacon."

"You weren't better than me, though."

Yang stuck out her tongue but Weiss still hesitantly came closer and squeezed herself just in between the blonde and her mother. The three stayed like that for a minute or so until Summer dissolved their cuddle puddle to go to bed, tired from her trip into Blake's nightmare. The memories of the world inside Blake's mind were still haunting her but she decided to keep it to herself for now. Maybe she'd talk about it with Blake when they had the opportunity to and if the Faunus was open to share the story behind what exactly had happened there, and why.

Summer had experienced many dreams in her lifetime. Good dreams, bad dreams, disgusting and just straight up weird dreams. But this… this had been something else. This was so beyond disturbing, it was off the scale of everything she had ever seen.

She wrapped her blanket a little tighter around herself and forced the scene away from her inner eye. No way would she allow her own unconscious to build upon Blake's nightmares to combine them with her own.

During the night, Summer received two texts.

One was from her husband: a picture of an airship ticket to Vale with several clumsy hearts drawn around it.

The other came from an island far, far away. It also included an airship ticket, minus the artsy additions but plus an anxious inquiry why there hadn't been a video call that day.

Summer answered both texts as soon as she was awake enough to give coherent replies. The two parties would arrive on the same day, around noon and in the early evening, with just enough time left to enjoy the end of visiting hours at the hospital. It was perfect.

But she didn't tell anyone.

She loved surprises.


	7. Family

"I still don't fully understand this game, to be honest."

"I can help you again, Ice Queen. Let me see which cards—"

"Stay away, you oaf! You'd just use this knowledge to your advantage!"

"You don't trust me enough to just accept my ample offer of support?"

"I don't, in fact."

"Wow, ouch."

"I'm so boooooored," Ruby whined, throwing her head back in frustration. "I love Remnant: The Game, but after almost a month… Ugh."

Blake shot her a smug smile. "Someone wants to go outside and run a marathon, I see."

"Yes! I do! Two—no, three of them!"

"Your leg would not survive that," Weiss quipped in, laying down one of her cards.

Yang eyed it for a second. "You can't do that."

"What? Why not? The rules say—"

"Who cares about rules when I have a _trap card_?"

"Oh, you insufferable little—"

Summer quietly chuckled to herself, watching from one of the couches in the common room while drinking a cup of tea. That game had already haunted her during her own Beacon days and it seemed as if Yang had inherited Raven's ruthless and absolutely devastating gameplay. Ruby was coming after her – being all strategic and dramatic, but always getting out-smarted just before the finish line. And Weiss… well, she was trying. Like Tai, she followed the rules too closely to see any openings for a nasty move which ultimately resulted in her lack of victories. Meanwhile, Blake was quietly collecting points here and there, just as cleverly and sneakily as Qrow, minus the occasional burst of bad luck.

Summer shook her head. Crazy how similar these two teams were. Who would have thought?

Her scroll vibrated in her lap and the message made her beam like a fool, though she quickly hid her joy behind her mug before anyone could suspect anything. The girls might be occupied with the most intense board game this hospital had ever seen but especially Blake could be crazy perceptive at times. Summer would never take the risk of accidentally exposing herself if it meant that her big surprise would be ruined.

So for some more time, she observed her daughters and their partners as they were engulfed in their game, sometimes yelling, sometimes crying, sometimes laughing diabolically. In the end, Yang won, as always, but only by a hair's breadth. Blake and Weiss had teamed up and had almost broken her winning streak of… by now, it must have been around 25.

Had they really played this game 25 times? Gosh, they desperately needed some variety. Summer had probably played 25 times… in total. Ever.

A nurse peeked inside the common room, sighing. "Excuse me, but… a _doctor_ has some extremely important news for all of you." The man stole a pained glance at Summer who just shrugged apologetically. It wasn't her idea, after all.

Blake raised one eyebrow. "What is it?"

"He'll be with you in a minute and explain everything. Please stand by." The man left, glad to have played his part, and RWBY just sat there, utterly confused.

Yang gulped. "I don't like this."

"Me neither," Weiss mumbled, "Ruby and Blake have been recovering fantastically. You and I were discharged long ago. What could he possibly still want from us?"

Just then, a peculiar figure waltzed into the room. The man was tall, had tanned skin and messy black hair that could be mistaken for a bird's nest. He wore blue tinted glasses that were just as weird as his long fuzzy beard and sported a round belly underneath his coat.

"Ah, there they are!" The man said, waving with a clipboard in his one hand and a pen in the other. "So, let's see what we got here…" He scanned his papers with a frown, flipping one page over to read the next underneath. "Oh… Oh, dear…"

"Is something wrong?" Ruby asked, concern wavering in her voice.

"Oh, yes, yes, indeed. Severely, even, looking at these charts…" The man sighed, taking a glance at all the girls, one after another. "I'm afraid to tell you… that you all suffer from a severe lack of dad jokes."

The room was silent for a moment, Summer biting into her hand to stifle the laughter bubbling up in her throat.

"Excuse m—" Weiss exclaimed, before a dark wig hit her directly in the face.

"It's the worst case of _irony deficiency_ I've ever seen!"

Everyone finally broke out into laughter as Taiyang revealed himself under the masquerade, grinning like a madman because he was so elated over the delivery of his pun. Yang and Ruby quickly got up from their seats and threw themselves into their father's arms, Tai ruffling their hair and giving them kisses on the head.

"I'm so proud of you," he said, tightening the embrace even more. Summer could have sworn he was tearing up as well but he would never admit it, so she let it slide. She got up from the couch and joined her family, sharing a loving kiss with her husband.

"You're such a dork," she whispered as she pulled away. "I can't believe you actually did that."

Ruby gasped. "You _knew_ of this?!"

"Traitor! You had me terrified for a second there!" Yang added and playfully slapped both her parents with a fake pout.

When the small group had calmed down, Taiyang also addressed the remaining two girls. "Weiss, Blake. It's nice to see you, too. I hope you're doing well."

"Splendid," Weiss said dryly, picking up the wig and tossing it back.

Blake nodded. "Been worse."

Tai laughed heartily and invited them over with a wave of his hand. "I missed you, girls. Come here, you deserve a hug as well. You're family, after all."

With four people pressed against him, the pillow under Tai's coat had to go, otherwise Weiss couldn't breathe, being the smallest one. The pile of cuddles was beyond adorable and Summer secretly snapped a picture; who knew when she would make use of it again.

Tai turned out to be the perfect solution for the unbearable boredom that had been hanging over the young huntresses lately, spicing things up with updates from Patch and stories from other adventures – and some more bad jokes. The afternoon was spent together eating cafeteria cake and drinking vending-machine coffee, RWBY occupying the couch by being pressed against each other (not that anyone minded) and Tai and Summer sitting on chairs opposite of them, holding hands or having one arm draped across the other's shoulders.

This – this was what Summer had always dreamed of in her prison cell. That one day, her happiness would return in the form of her family sitting together again, having fun. That said family had expanded by now didn't bother her, if anything she was delighted that Ruby and Yang had found people they held so close to their hearts. And Weiss and Blake, they were good people. They had earned their place in this family with flying colours.

Evening rolled around surprisingly fast and Tai suggested getting pizza, even offering to pay for them all. Of course, no one disagreed with that and Ruby practically begged for anything else than "grey hospital goo" for dinner. Although, Summer had to admit that the food here wasn't _that_ awful; the hospital really tried its best to accommodate the world's saviors with the best they had. Still, it couldn't win against pizza.

"Let's eat outside, it's still warm enough," Taiyang said, balancing six pizza cartons in his hands after tipping the delivery boy. The group settled down on some benches in front of the entrance where they had a nice view over the street, being able to people-watch while eating but still staying on hospital grounds due to Ruby and Blake.

The pizzas were devoured quickly and for some reason, everyone made fun of Blake for getting one with tuna. But the Faunus took it with humor and just wiped some stray cheese from Yang's cheek while Weiss watched Ruby inhale her pizza with a smile and a shake of her head. Letting her eyes wander to her husband who was rolling his slice up to scarf it down with one single bite, Summer felt as if looking into a mirror.

Soon, everyone was down to their last slice (except Ruby and Yang who had finished their dinner in record time; they definitely didn't learn that from Summer) and the sun was close to setting behind the skyline of Vale.

"… You can't imagine how many times Ilia has tried to explain to Neptune that she's not interested," Blake told between her last bites, "Sun gave him her number more than two years ago and since then, this guy just hasn't given up."

Weiss huffed. "Neptune is that kind of person who won't accept rejection simply because in his universe, nobody would ever reject him in the first place."

"He's a nice guy but he's way too sure of himself."

"I tell you, it's that blue hair. 'Oooh, I look like one of these anime protagonists, look at me.' I bet there's some sort of confidence booster in his dye. Although… Didn't Jaune once tell me that he's actually really insecure—Blake, are you okay? You're paler than me."

Blake had stopped eating, pizza slice hovering half-way to her mouth. Her ears stood on high alert and her eyes were fixed on something in the distance.

No, not something. Someone.

"Blake?" Yang asked again before following her gaze and spotting what was throwing her girlfriend off the track. "Oh."

"Is that…" Ruby craned her neck to see and a wide grin spread across her face immediately. "No way!"

Kali and Ghira leisurely walked towards them, Ghira limping and using a stick but otherwise seeming alright. He was… enormous. During Summer's video calls, he had already significantly dwarfed Kali when the two had sat next to each other, but standing up, he was an actual giant! He almost had to bend over a little to let his wife loop her arm through his.

Both Faunus wore a soft smile as they were approaching slowly, Blake's pizza meanwhile dropping back into the carton unceremoniously, forgotten and abandoned. Mindful as ever, Yang took the box away from Blake's lap and let the young woman stand up. As if in trance, mouth open in shock, Blake was rooted to the ground until her parents were only a couple steps away, waiting for her to make the first move.

It only took her a second to launch herself into their arms.

"Oh, Blake," Ghira mused, adjusting his cane to better hug his daughter back. Summer could faintly hear her crying. "We're so, so proud of you." He stole a glance at the other girls who waved back excitedly.

Threading her fingers through Blake's short hair, Kali added, "And we're glad you all made it home."

"Not in one piece, but this'll work as well." Ruby pointed to her gauze with a silly grin and only then did Kali seem to notice the state RWBY was in.

"Ruby! Goodness, what happened to you!"

"Uh, so there was this witch, you know—"

"And Weiss, look at you, you're so thin!"

Weiss cleared her throat. "I literally just ate an entire pizza—"

"Yang, where is your arm? Is the prosthetic broken? Will you get a new one?"

"Mooooom," Blake whined against her father's chest, nuzzling against him as if he could protect her from further embarrassment.

Summer stood up, taking Kali's hand in hers and shaking it. "It's the mother instincts kicking in, nothing unusual."

"Exactly. At least one person here understands me."

"From one mother to another."

The reunion was quite quick once Blake had finally been pried away from her dad so her teammates also had a chance to receive a proper hug, Ghira lifting every single one of them off their feet without effort.

It was nice to have another pair of parents around to exchange stories and experiences with. Summer realized that an adult conversation felt good, not least because the Belladonnas were easy to talk to and beyond interesting people. Although Tai could have really refrained from teaching Ghira the art of dad jokes… Poor Blake would murder both of them, if Kali wasn't faster.

Unfortunately, visiting hours ended eventually and the group had to split off again. Just for the night of course, but it was apparent how much Blake didn't want her parents to go.

Back at the Airbnb, Summer put the kettle on for a cup of tea before bed, Yang and Weiss sitting on the couch watching TV. While waiting, she listened to them bicker and tease each other – pondering if Weiss had had the chance of being so carefree and relaxed back at her old home. Mr. Schnee had struck her as an obnoxious and cold man who would not refrain from the least morally acceptable methods to reach his goal – more wealth and power. From what she'd heard, Weiss's childhood had been… rough. That scar of hers was proof enough.

Summer realized that once Ruby and Blake were dismissed from the hospital, all of them had a place they could return to – except Weiss.

With the Schnee manor having been completely raided after Mantle's riots against the upper class, Weiss didn't have a home anymore.

The kettle whistled loudly, interrupting Summer's thoughts momentarily while she poured the water.

Home. What even was "home"? A place, or rather a feeling? Memories? A person? Multiple persons?

"Tea for three," Summer sang as she carried a tray with three mugs into the living room. Yang and Weiss thanked her, taking their tea into their hands carefully.

They were watching a game show, a quiz combined with some sporty activities to make it less dull. Summer wasn't really paying attention. Most of the questions were tied to events that had happened during her absence or were simply too specific for her to answer in the first place. What even _were_ "memes"?

"Weiss," she finally said once their mugs were empty and the commercial break had started, "where will you stay after all of this? When it's time to go home?"

"I…" Caught off-guard by the question, Weiss frowned, thinking.

She didn't know.

"Maybe… I'll stay with my sister. She's handling everything well in Mantle. I bet Winter… wouldn't mind that much if I lived with her." Her voice betrayed her in how little she seemed to be looking forward to this.

Yang raised her eyebrows. "But that's so far away…"

"Well, so is Menagerie."

A heavy silence settled in the room. No one had dared thinking to this point, where RWBY would split up for good. When peace was achieved, when only a few Grimm remained. When their job was done.

Normally, academy students had a place to live until one month after graduation. Signing into the Hunter Register by default once they graduated, students usually immediately started going on hunts. The additional month at the schools served as a safety net for those who could only afford housing outside the dorms once they had earned their first mission payment. It was only fair and that way, no hunter ended up on the streets during the transition into their new work life.

But RWBY had no academy to fall back to. They only had their parents, and maybe some acquaintances that would let them crash at their place if times were rough. But these safe havens were scattered across the country, the entire globe, even. Which meant that RWBY would likely be split as well.

Summer saw Yang's hand beginning to tremble.

"It shouldn't be like this," said the blonde. "We've been separated before. You remember how well we did during that time."

Weiss played with the rim of her mug. "It was right after Beacon's Fall, of course did we—"

"Don't lie to yourself, Weiss." Yang's voice was stern and there was something in her eyes that told the story of someone who had been through hell and back. "You didn't feel awful because you missed school. Because you loved classes so much, or the crammed dorms or collecting tree sap in the Emerald Forest." Her hand was full-on shaking. "It was never as much about Beacon falling as it was about us, the team – falling apart."

Weiss hung her head, shoulders slumping. She hated being read like an open book. "We're completely without resources. No money, no belongings, just our weapons and the clothes on our backs. What… what other choice do we have."

The room returned to silence. Commercial break was over and the game show resumed where it had left off. The contestant proved themselves to be worthy of the prize – a high sum of cash, some of it raining down on them after the final question – and the crowd erupted into cheers of joy and congratulations.

Wordlessly, Weiss and Yang simultaneously got up from the couch and got ready for bed.

In hindsight, Summer stayed up a little too late for her own taste, searching online for affordable houses to rent in Vale.


	8. Home

The house looked well-maintained, with a little front yard and a garage for two cars. There also was a nice porch on the backside of the building with another patch of lawn and space for flower beds.

"It's a beautiful house but it's just too big for me," the older woman said as she opened the door for Summer, gesturing for her to go inside. "Especially the garden is a lot of work which my back will not put up with for much longer."

"Oh, I totally understand, Ma'am," Summer replied politely, taking in the interior of the house. It was definitely clean, some marks of its usage were there, sure, but nothing that would actually bother anyone or require being repaired.

The woman proceeded to show Summer around: Living room, kitchen with a dining area, a small bathroom and a broom closet in the first floor, three bedrooms and a larger bathroom with a shower and bathtub in the second, plus a basement and a cellar. No wonder this old lady had decided to move into a small apartment; this was a lot of work for only one person.

"It's a nice house." It even looked better than it had online, to be fair. "I'd really appreciate it if you'd give me time until tomorrow until we move on; I have some things to talk about with my family."

"Oh, of course, take your time. At the moment, you're the only one interested and I doubt this'll change until then."

***

"Blake's getting discharged tomorrow," Summer mentioned nonchalantly while drying the dishes. "Should we eat dinner together?"

"I'm down for that," Yang answered while putting away some glasses. "Although Ruby's gonna be extra jealous."

"She can survive another two days," Weiss said. She handed Summer another wet plate before resuming to scrub the remaining ones clean.

"Well, then it's settled. I can cook for you girls, how does that sound?"

"As long as it's fish or includes fish, I think Blake will love the idea!" Yang grinned smugly. Another jab at her girlfriend's love for sea food.

"Is she staying with her parents once she's out of hospital?"

"I think so, they have a proper sleeping couch in their hotel room she can use. Also, it'd be a little cramped if another person would have to sleep in our bed."

"It barely fits us two, considering how you always play starfish during the night," Weiss quipped in, though there was no malice in her voice.

Yang only stuck her tongue out. "Sure, Miss Feet-Colder-Than-Atlas'-Tundra."

"Without them, the sheets would have caught on fire multiple times, with your heater of a Semblance."

"Do you admit I'm hot?"

"Hot-headed at best."

How any of the girls had lived at Beacon without permanent brain damage from their back-and-forth was still a mystery to Summer. But… Not that her own team had been much better.

"There's another thing I'd like to talk with you about." The last plate was dry and Summer handed it to Yang, Weiss draining the sink of the soapy water. "But first, I want to show you something." Summer set her scroll down on the counter and projected a website for everyone to see.

"You want to buy a house? You want to move to Vale?" Yang asked upon scanning over the real estate listing in front of her.

"No, I don't. But maybe _you_ want to."

The two girls looked at her in disbelief.

Weiss blinked. "P-pardon?"

"It's not that different from a dorm, is it?" Summer swiped through the photos of the individual rooms. "Just better."

"Mom, we… How… _What_?" Yang's brain had apparently decided to short-circuit. 

Summer continued, "The woman who owns the place is very friendly and the rent isn't high if you split it by four. It's got rooms for everybody if you and Blake can agree on sharing one. Also, you have a small garden—"

"Mom, wait." The blonde took a deep, steadying breath. "Where is this suddenly coming from?"

The older woman closed the application and pocketed her scroll. "Yang, I know you love me, but you're 22 now. You're in a relationship, have your own life with your own goals and dreams. You've grown independent and you need your own space in order to _keep_ growing." She smiled. "And that applies to your friends as well. So I thought this could be a good start to figure things out. A step forward."

"I…" Yang's eyes met Weiss's, asking silent questions. Many of them.

It was a lot to think about, admittedly. At barely 20 years old, making decisions like these always seem too permanent, too constraining. It's the fear of binding yourself to something that in the end reveals itself as not ideal. The thought of gluing yourself to something that you'd then have to commit to can be frightening. What if it turns out to be a chain, holding you back? What if you took an opportunity only to realize that you could have done better with a different thing?

At RWBY's age, so much could and would still change. And change was scary.

Especially the first step into change.

"You don't have to follow through with what I said; I'm not pressuring you into anything. It was an idea. An inspiration, if you will. I don't care how you achieve happiness. If you settle down somewhere or travel around with your home in your backpacks, if you stay alone or in pairs or as a team, if you expand the team someday or not… "

The scenarios were playing out in Yang and Weiss's heads, Summer could see it. They were considering their options, their wishes, their needs. And if any of them were possibly communal.

"… But you four have a strong connection that runs far deeper than in my team back in the day. You've been separated, it hurt, and you put in the effort to get back together. You put in the effort to repair a damaged bond and it would be a shame if it were in vain, if a feeble thing such as distance pulled you apart again. You don't deserve that."

Summer closed her eyes for a second.

"Maybe just think about it. There's no rush, and it's not like you'll end up homeless. There is no wrong decision."

She gave the girls a last encouraging smile before saying goodnight and heading towards bed.

***

Hours later, Summer awoke in her husband's arms, throat dry and sweating. Tai had come back late from the gym and apparently, he was still cooling off, having turned the room into a sauna. Not that he was bothered by it; this man was immune to any changes in temperatures, cold and hot, thus wearing shorts throughout the year.

Summer, however, was that type of person who had different clothes for different seasons and her body was letting her know that it was overheating right now. She quietly slipped out from under the covers and headed to the kitchen to get herself a glass of cool water. Or two. Or an entire bottle.

Making out a dark silhouette sitting on the sofa made her stop dead in her tracks but she immediately recognized Yang's wild mane of hair.

"Honey," she whispered, "why are you still up? Is something wrong?"

As Summer came closer, Yang lifted her head, no longer staring at the floor. "Mom…"

She was clearly upset about something; her slumped demeanor told as much. Also the fact that she immediately buried her face in Summer's neck once the older woman had sat down next to her.

For a while, neither of them said anything, Summer just weaving her fingers through Yang's hair tenderly. She knew her daughter would speak when she was ready. 

"I want to rent the house," the blonde finally murmured after a few minutes.

"… But?"

Yang sighed shakily. "Blake is scared. Unsure. I asked her tonight."

"And you don't want to live in the house without her."

"Yeah… I need her here, with me, Mom. But I also need Ruby. And, as unbelievable as it might sound, I need Weiss, too."

"You care about them a lot."

"A whole lot."

Summer hummed, shifting slightly on the couch.

"Weiss wants to move into the house. Ruby wants to move into the house. But Blake, she's just… afraid."

"Afraid of what?"

Yang sniffed. "I think Blake is afraid of being happy."

"Oh," Summer said, hand stilling in her daughter's hair. That was certainly not what she had expected. And yet… "I have the feeling Blake is afraid of a lot of things."

"She's not a coward, Mom, she—"

"No, no," Summer interrupted gently, "I never called her a coward. Fear doesn't automatically make you a poltroon. Brave people are frightened, too."

Yang let out a non-committal huff.

"I saw Blake's dreams, honey. I can tell she's troubled, struggling, even though I barely know her story. Someone hurt her."

"That's putting it mildly," Yang whispered.

That boy, Adam, who had tortured Blake's loved ones with a sick smile on his face, immediately came to Summer's mind… He had a mad kind of hate radiating from him, oozing spite from every single pore. Of course, it was probably an exaggerated and hyperbolical portrayal – but the roots, the essence, was undeniable. He had hurt Blake beyond anything else, only comparable to Salem who could be called the source of all evil itself. 

"I believe Blake is not afraid of being happy, but rather that any happiness can and will be taken from her. You can't be hurt by the loss of something you never called your own in the first place."

Yang stayed silent at these words, lost in thought. Perhaps it also was the tiredness starting to take its toll.

"Maybe she needs to be convinced that not everything good has to be seen as a risk. More often than not, it's an opportunity cloaked in a layer of doubt and you just need a helping hand to lift the veil."

Summer pressed a kiss to Yang's temple, peeling herself from the couch and standing up. She got the large glass of water she had originally got up for, took a sip and made her way back to her and Tai's room. But first, she halted just before she was out of sight of Yang who was still on the sofa.

"Talk to her. Help her believe she's worthy and deserving of joy, of peace of mind, of you. Because, by the Gods, she truly is."

A minute later, the woman settled down next to her husband again, Tai not having moved a single inch since she'd been gone. Summer lay down at his side again and sank into the now comforting warmth of his higher-than-normal body heat, closing her eyes.

Just as sleep was about to overtake, she could make out a pair of bare feet making their way down the hall.

***

For dinner, Summer prepared sesame tuna steaks with a Menagerie-style slaw, the recipe courtesy of the one and only Kali Belladonna herself. She also cooked up some deliciously seasoned prawns plus dip, home-made garlic fries, and a variety of vegetable skewers. The entire house smelled heavenly and she had to physically keep Yang from invading the kitchen to "taste-test" her work before Blake would join them. Weiss even threatened the blonde to freeze her to the floor if she didn't stop.

The young Faunus arrived right on time, her parents bringing her over. Summer had invited them as well but Kali and Ghira wanted to use the evening to have a romantic dinner for just the two of them, for the first time since the war had ended. Nobody could argue that the couple had earned some time to themselves and they quickly said their goodbyes, waving while their lift drove them downtown.

"The fish looks amazing," Blake cooed after Summer had put all the dishes on the table.

"A little bird told me that you were particularly fond of seafood and how could I dare call myself a good mother if I didn't take my daughter's girlfriend's culinary likes into consideration."

Yang rolled her eyes playfully. "As if Blake was the only one swooning over fish. Weiss probably had her own fish butler back at the Schnee manor."

"I didn't, that's preposterous."

"A cake butler, but no fish butler?"

"Say, why don't you just keep eating those garlic fries? Maybe it will not only shut you up but also keep your future make-out session with Blake shorter so I don't have to spend the _entire_ evening in the living room avoiding you two devouring each other."

Yang and Blake stared at Weiss, a deep blush creeping up their necks. Busted. Weiss really knew her teammates a little too well sometimes, distributing the tuna on everyone's plates with a pleased yet devilish smirk.

Dinner went well after that, the food being eaten up quickly. The group fell into a light and casual banter, Blake talking about her dismissal and how Ruby had begged her to stay so they could fight off the boredom together "Ladybug style". Yang shot several pictures or her full plate to send to her sister for the pure intent of torturing the poor girl who no doubt was eating hospital food in the meantime.

For dessert, Summer whipped up a sundae with berries and vanilla sauce, earning Weiss yet another Ice Queen joke. As the three girls helped clearing the table afterwards, Summer already starting to clean the kitchen, the woman remembered that she had promised the old lady to inform her about her decision concerning the house. At nearly eight in the evening, she still didn't know what to tell her.

"Yang," she said, the girls just about to make their way into their room, "can I speak with you for a minute?"

The blonde shrugged and stayed in the kitchen while her friends went on without her.

"I know you're probably tired of me asking again… But have you made up your mind about the house yet?"

Yang's shoulders dropped. "No…"

"But you have talked to Blake?"

"I… texted her again earlier today. She didn't answer, though."

Summer sighed. "That's not what I meant with 'talking', sweetie."

"I know," Yang groaned, burying her face in her hand. "I just… I mean, I want her by my side, but I can't just force her into anything! I don't want her to move in with us simply because I nagged her enough for her to give in out of annoyance! Or worse, guilt!"

"Do you really think that the woman who has had to put up with your terrible jokes for years now would be fed up with you asking her a simple question _twice_?"

"This is _not_ a joke, Mom."

"You're right. Sorry." Tai's constant sarcasm really was rubbing off on her. Again. "But my point stands. Blake doesn't come off as someone who makes decisions with the sole intent of pleasing others."

"She… used to do that. With her ex, out of fear. I don't want her to compare me to him."

Adam again. "He still has quite a tight grasp around you two, it seems."

"I wish he hadn't…" Yang dragged her hand down her face, letting it fall to her side tiredly. "He's been gone for so long. We should be free by now."

"And you will be. Things like that take time. An awful lot, more often than not."

Silence settled over them. Yang still looked distraught, absent-mindedly rubbing her stump. A new prosthetic was already in the making but nobody could tell them when it would be ready to ship all the way from Atlas.

Instinctively, Summer wrapped her daughter in a hug. "You will figure things out. Just… talk. Communication is key, as corny as it sounds."

"As corny as mid-western Vale's agriculture."

"That one was _really_ flat, my dear."

"Tell that Dad. When we drove there, I was close to leaving him in one of the corn mazes to have some quiet."

The two pulled apart smiling. "Whatever your decision will be, the both of us will support you. We love you, Yang."

"I love you, too."

***

Kali and Ghira returned at around 9.30 to take their daughter back home. Blake said her goodbyes with a kiss to the cheek for Yang and tight hugs for Weiss and Summer. She once again thanked the older woman for the meal before climbing into the car and driving away.

Judging by how good the overall mood was, their talk had either gone really well or they hadn't talked at all and Yang would drop the bomb in the next few seconds.

"So?" Summer asked, closing the front door behind her and folding her arms expectantly.

"So?" Yang asked back.

"You know what I'm getting at. So – so?"

A grin spread across the blonde's face. "Call up the old lady and organize some moving boxes."

Summer laughed, watching Yang pump her fist in the air and jump around in triumph, almost knocking over a chair in her little dance of joy. Even Weiss couldn't hide the grin that crept up on her.

"How did you two convince her? What did the trick?"

"Certainly not this oaf's garlic breath," Weiss threw in, though Yang silenced her quickly by one-handedly throwing her friend over her shoulder like a sack of potatoes, making the ex-heiress squeak out in surprise.

"My charm and good looks of course!" When she watched her mother skeptically place one hand on her hips, she added sheepishly, "And we _might_ have promised to turn the living room into a little library."


	9. Visitor

Of course, there had been more going on than merely mentioning books. It hadn't been particularly hard to show Blake the beauty of living together as a team in a perfect house in a wonderful city. The tricky part was helping her understand that this was something she deserved.

Summer didn't know many details but she was aware of the fact that it hadn't only been Yang doing the talking. Weiss was adept in combining hard facts with heartfelt words, and after a quick video call, Ruby had apparently made use of her undeniable sweetness and a very convincing puppy dog eye to undermine her adoration for Blake. How could anyone say no to that?

Blake's teammates loved her, but Summer wasn't so sure if Blake loved herself. Some walls she had built, the armor she had cast around herself, they were crumbling but not completely gone yet. Just like Weiss's. And to be honest, Ruby and Yang did have some as well.

It would take time and a lot of mutual support but Summer was positive that eventually, the four would manage to overcome these obstacles together. Every day it only became clearer how good they were for each other, always bringing out the best in each of them. 

But what mattered now was that the house was in their pockets. Only some financial hurdles to master and the girls would be good to go, to have a fresh start.

"It's weird thinking about our children moving out already," Tai said while watching TV with his wife, the house empty of the others.

Lazily, Summer zapped through the channels, none of the programs catching her interest. "They are old enough and they've been out of their homes for quite a while already. They're more than prepared to live on their own."

"Yeah, but it makes me feel so old! Just yesterday, I was changing Yang's diapers! And today she's about to earn her own money to pay for my retirement home!"

"Time is an illusion," Summer chuckled, pausing on the news as there was nothing else that proved to be worth watching.

The couple continued following the daily reports for some minutes, news of the steadily decreasing Grimm activity, political yadda yadda, the weather forecast and so on. Remnant seemed to be in control of itself again and intent of keeping it that way. Of course, there was still a lot to do but it was going forward. That was most important.

A knock on the door made Tai groan, annoyed at the intruder interrupting the quality time with his wife. He got up from the couch while Summer kept following a short commentary on Vacuo's thriving infrastructure.

"How can I he—"

Frowning at why Tai's words were apparently stuck in his throat, Summer turned towards the door – only for her jaw to hit the floor.

"Should I… come back some other time?" Almost shyly, Raven rubbed her arm, unable to look into her old teammates' eyes. She hadn't changed much from the woman Summer had seen last time – maybe some more wrinkles and a few grey streaks in her black locks, but that was inevitable at their current age. Even her outfit was pretty much the same, her trademark sword still hanging from her side.

"I-I… Raven…" Tai sputtered out, unable to wrap his head around the fact that his ex-wife was standing right in front of him. "No, you—I mean, come in. We have time. We have time? We do."

Awkwardly, Raven entered the house, Summer getting up from the couch to greet her. "It's… good to see you, Ray."

"Summer." A faint smile appeared on the other woman's face. "Likewise. I had to see for myself if the rumors of your return were true."

"Well, I wasn't actually _gone_ in that way, so—"

"Semantics. I just wanted to check on you."

"Well… thank you. For caring about me."

This was so weird. Summer contemplated going in for a hug but recalled how Raven had never been fond of physical contact. Maybe a handshake would be fine? Or was that too formal for an old friend? What about… a high-five?

Raven cleared her throat. "Good to know you're doing well. You too, Taiyang." Tai answered with a simple nod. "How about… the girls?"

"They're great. They'll move in together soon, find some work. They're happy."

"Ah," Raven just said, adjusting her sword. "Good for them."

"Yeah. They have earned it."

"What are you up to these days?" Tai asked from the sideline, taking the spot next to his wife. "It's been a while, to be frank."

"I've been… quite busy."

"For 20 years straight?"

"Tai," Summer hissed, sensing the spite seeping into his voice.

Raven growled. "Yes, for 20 years indeed. Only now did it seem safe to drop by you. Our connection has remained as reliable as ever even after all this time."

"That Semblance of yours really comes in handy in terms of saving travel costs. You must have been getting around a lot, I assume?"

She did not laugh. "If you think I expanded my number of bonds in such a quantity, you must be mistaking me for someone else."

"So!" Summer jumped in with an admittedly very forced smile, desperate to loosen some of the tension between the two ex-lovers. "Raven, do you want to sit down with us? Have a proper talk instead of… standing around in the hallway? Maybe some tea?"

"I can't say I feel very welcome," Raven muttered, eyes narrowing in on Tai.

He crossed his arms in return. "Not that you're making it easy for us."

Oh no, this was bad. Time to dissolve this argument before it even started. "Tai, dear, would you be so kind and put the kettle on?"

"That won't be necessary. I won't stay much longer." By the Gods, why did Raven have to make it so difficult. "I didn't plan on spending so much time here anyway."

"So… Duties, huh?"

"You could call them that."

Tai frowned, suspicious. "Nothing shady, I hope?"

A sigh. "It's complicated."

"So _very_ shady. I see."

"My tribe is far from shady—"

"Tribe? You're still hanging around those criminals?! I thought you were long since over that part of your life!"

"My tribe. Needs me."

"And your family doesn't?"

" _They_ are my family!"

"How can these crooks be closer to you than your own daught—"

"I was the Spring Maiden!" Raven blurted out but immediately pressed her lips together tightly. She took a deep breath. "With how the tribes move around and never settle down for long, they were my best cover. Being a Maiden, I had a target painted on my back and couldn't afford to get caught, otherwise playing directly into Salem's hands. All this time, I was _busy_ upholding my cover, and the tribe supported my means. Yang found out, however. Hasn't she told you?"

Summer shook her head, eyes wide in disbelief. "N-no…"

"Of course she hasn't." She let out a humorless laugh. "Where is she anyway?"

"Out, with her team. They're getting Ruby from the hospital and then wanted to look for jobs in the area."

"So they all survived, huh… Tough little brats."

"Don't call them that," Tai growled but Summer put a hand to his chest before he could do anything stupid. "What did you _really_ want here, Raven?"

Raven sighed. "Now that my magic is no more, I just… got sentimental, I guess." Tai scoffed at that, but she carried on, unfazed. "And I realize that I made a mistake. Clearly, I'm neither needed nor wanted. But I understand." She turned around, her back to her teammates. "I know my place and it's not here, not with you. It never was."

Summer blinked. "Who says that?"

Raven faced them again. "Pardon?"

"Who says you don't belong here, with us? Where do you belong instead?"

"Didn't you _listen_ to what I told you just a minute ago?!"

"But what keeps you from choosing again right now, with Salem gone and with her the danger you were subjected to? Why do you keep yourself chained to the tribe when you could… come home?"

Raven took a shaky breath. "As if you'd understand." She grumbled something before heading for the door.

Summer felt terrible.

"Ray," she called out just as the other woman was turning the knob. "You know that… it's not too late to choose anew. If you're willing to reconnect with people you care about, the time spent apart does not matter. Neither do the circumstances why you left."

"Bullshit."

"… It always depends on the reason why you didn't return."

A hopeless bark of a laughter left Raven's lips. "Then I'm more than screwed."

"No. You're just scared. Scared of rejection and that you won't find forgiveness, no matter what you do. You let your problems grow and fester until they're nearly impossible to solve. Until… they're grown up."

"Are you implying that I'm a coward?!" Raven took a threatening step forward, anger glinting in her eyes.

"Fear doesn't automatically make you a wimp." Huh. This message sounded familiar. "But it's cowardly to cling to excuses that have long since lost their authenticity."

Raven tried to get even closer to Summer but Tai stepped between the two protectively. "Whoa, hey," he interrupted, "that's enough. Summer, this is clearly going nowhere. Raven, if you have nothing else to say, I suggest that you go."

Raven just stood there, panting. Her eyes darted between Tai and Summer, back and forth, as if she hoped to find the perfect response somewhere in their concerned faces.

Summer shot her a last, sad smile. "If you are ever ready to come home – to start over – please know that you're always welcome. But not with that attitude. Only with an open heart."

Without another word, Raven stomped out of the house, slamming the door shut and making her old teammates wince at the noise.

Confused, Tai ran a hand through his hair. "What in the world was that?"

Summer couldn't answer, still staring at the closed door with her mouth open in shock. Shaking her head, she brought herself out of her stupor. "I-I have not the slightest idea."

"You think she'll do it? Come back, for real?"

With a frown, Summer approached the window next to the door, watching a black feather sink to the ground. "I don't know…"

***

The mood was still heavy when RWBY returned later in the afternoon. Ruby finally being out of hospital overshadowed it for a good amount but it was painfully obvious that Summer and Tai had had a poor day in some way or another. Nobody quite dared asking them, though, not eager to trade the happiness of today's events for possible bad news. Not when RWBY first wanted to talk about their future work that was practically in the bag now and their nearing move into their house.

Once dinner was finished and everyone had settled down on the couch the relax, Summer dropped the bombshell.

"Raven came by today."

Yang shot up from her seat immediately. " _What?!_ "

"Your mother—"

"I heard you the first time." She balled her fist. "What… did she want?"

Tai put a hand on his daughter's shoulder and gently guided her back down on the sofa. "We're not quite sure, to be honest. She claimed she wanted to see Summer but our talk then took a turn… She didn't stay long and we didn't part on particularly good terms."

There was hurt ghosting over Yang's face and her body tensed.

"She also asked about the four of you," Summer added. "Wanted to know how you were doing after your fight and what your plans were, now that Salem is no more."

"I bet she was _genuinely_ concerned about us," Yang snarled, shrugging her father's hand off. Tai let her.

"She also told us that she's no longer the Spring Maiden."

Yang's mouth opened and closed several time with no words escaping her lips. The other girls looked at each other, confused.

"Wait," Weiss said, "I thought… Vernal was the Maiden. I saw her use her magic. Did Raven inherit the powers after her death?"

Yang sighed. "No. Vernal was bait. She just pretended to be the Maiden for Raven's safety."

"When exactly did you learn about that?" Ruby asked hesitantly.

"Raven told me."

"And _you_ didn't tell _us_?"

"No, I didn't!" Once more, Yang stood up, hand shaking. "I'm _done_ with Raven. She made it clear that she doesn't want to be associated with anyone going up against Salem. She's a selfish coward and she only acts to her own benefit. We don't need her on our side if she'd betray us the second things get heated. And tracking her would have only cost us precious time."

"But she was a _Maiden_."

"That didn't make her a better person."

Ruby fell silent. Yang left the room, fuming, but there were tears gathering in her eyes. Blake followed her wordlessly.

They turned on the TV to drown out their thoughts. It didn't help much and Summer found herself spiraling. She should have approached that topic more tactfully. She should have known Yang would react like that. But saying nothing at all would have been wrong as well. Did Yang even call Raven "mom"? She should have talked to her about it more. She should have been more suspicious the moment her daughter broke down in the hospital—

"Summer?"

The TV was turned off again. Everyone was looking at her, Weiss waiting for her to respond.

"Y-yeah, sorry?"

"I… I don't think Raven is a bad person per se. I met her, once. Yes, she was bossy and cynical and in no way would I dare call her nice, but—"

"She kidnapped you," Ruby said but was immediately shushed by Weiss pressing a finger to her lips.

"Which is a story for another day. What I wanted to say is, she cared. In her own twisted way. She tried to manipulate Yang and me to keep us from joining Ozpin but in hindsight, I think she wanted to keep us safe. She didn't want to lose us to a fight she saw as unwinnable." 

Summer chewed on her lip. "Raven is coming from a place where love and trust as we know it are an alien concept. Where being vulnerable is seen as a weakness and therefore death. And… love makes you vulnerable. It easily sparks fear in all its different forms." She sighed.

"So Raven still loves Yang… and Yang still loves her."

"Yet neither wants to admit it."

"Because both are scared that the other won't reciprocate."

"But why not just _try_?" Ruby asked, sounding almost desperate.

Weiss turned towards her partner. "Raven _did_ try. She gave Yang the chance to stay with her and have 'a fresh start', but it was a feeble attempt. She made Yang choose between her and you. Obviously, Yang didn't accept her offer."

"Yang tried to reach out, too," Tai added. "She did ever since she learnt about Raven, as Qrow told me later. But she thought she could find her by tracing back her every step. That's not how it works, though – not only is Raven too clever to get caught like that, you can't just chase somebody down who has a history of having to hide to _survive_. Raven won't allow anyone to chase her until she's forced into a corner, even if the intent isn't even malicious."

Weiss groaned and buried her face in her hands. "They wanted the exact same thing and managed to completely mess it up. I can't believe that they just decided to close themselves off, act stubborn and label their relationship a lost cause."

"Fear can cloud your every sense, even your common sense. That's probably why Raven suddenly got so defensive when Tai got a little… upset at her."

"I'm sorry," Tai murmured. "I hope Blake can at least talk some sense back into Yang…"

"I think so." Weiss sighed. "Blake knows a thing or two about the importance of forgiveness."

***

An hour later, Blake's parents came by to take their daughter to their hotel for the night. Blake emerged out of Yang's room alone. The Belladonnas seemed puzzled as to why everyone looked so somber but Blake promised to fill them in once they were home.

Yang showed up a few minutes later, eyes puffy and swollen. She offered to sleep on the couch for the next few days so Ruby didn't have to with her still slightly sore leg. Also, as she said, partners belonged together. Neither Weiss nor Ruby argued with that. And the blonde could probably use the night to herself to think.

Summer got up early the next morning, gently waking Yang to ask her if she could help make breakfast for the others. Yang cooked some bacon and Summer got the coffee going, with no words spoken between them.

"Mom?" Yang let our after a while. The coffee was already done brewing, sitting on the table and waiting for the others to arrive. "I… I _can't_ let Raven in like that. She can't just waltz into our family and everything's gonna turn out okay somehow." She sighed. "Not after… what her departure did to me. And how she handled everything that followed."

Summer hummed in acknowledgement. It was the truth, after all. 

"But I want to give her a chance, despite all that. She's still important to me. So I'll try to make things right with her… on one condition."

Summer perked up. "Which would be?"

"I need confirmation that she means it, should she ever return again. It's… I'm not good with loss. I don't know what I'll do if she leaves again after I trusted her to stay, and if we could spare me another mental breakdown, that would be amazing."

The joke hurt. Because it clearly wasn't a joke.

"You and Dad, you know Raven better than me. If you see her next attempt, whenever that will be, as actually sincere… If you can guarantee me that she returned because she's genuinely interested in being _our family_ – then I think I can learn to forgive her. Because I'd love to have her back with us."

A smile graced Summer's lips. "That sounds fair to me. Though you are aware that you have to earn Raven's forgiveness just as much as she has to earn yours?"

"Yeah," Yang trailed off, cracking eggs into her pan. "I've learned long ago that rebuilding a relationship is a two-way effort."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Almost there!
> 
> I like to believe that the Maidens' powers disappear with Salem's death as she is the source of their magic. Just a headcanon from my side. But what isn't a headcanon in this fic at this point...


	10. Peace

Summer had never moved houses so fast. Well, maybe she'd just never moved with so little belongings to pack and carry, but still, it took them less than a day to make the girls' new home look like an actual home.

Signing the contract had been easy. The old lady was proud to rent her estate to someone famous, having heard of team RWBY on the news. The house was now running on Ruby's name because she had felt as if it was her duty as a leader.

The bedrooms were furnished with beds, cupboards and desks, thanks to a well-timed sale in one of the furniture shops downtown. Yang and Tai had hauled inside a monstrosity of a couch that they had got for a couple Lien from a garage sale and the kitchen was ready to be used for cooking everything the heart desires – as long as the dish didn't require more than two pots and a pan.

The house was still a little empty, a little bare, but it wouldn't be long until it was properly equipped and furnished. As the four girls would earn their own money, they could afford everything that was still needed and so much more to slowly but gradually turn the house into theirs. 

For now, RWBY had opted to work as huntresses to wipe out all the remaining Grimm in the country. Even though no new monsters were spawning, the old ones didn't disappear by themselves. Experts presumed that it would take another year or so to have the majority of them killed, with only a few odds here and there remaining. After that, hunters would be more or less redundant as other forces like the military would overtake anytime a stray Grimm would be spotted.

However, RWBY already had plans for after their year of hunting. Yang was hoping to be able to join the police, just like Ruby. ("Does that make us sisters-in-law?" - "Yang, by the Brothers—") Meanwhile, Blake was looking into becoming a teacher and Weiss was intent on finding work in the SDC despite the company now being in some rich CEO's hands. But nobody was concerned about her working her way up the ladder until she'd end up in a top position.

Life was looking good, for all of them. Summer couldn't be more proud.

The Belladonnas ended their stay with a big pizza party at the new house (a nice throwback to the day of their arrival) and parted under tears and the tightest hugs they were capable of. Blake cried some, too, but she promised to visit and video call them regularly. In return, her parents guaranteed to pack all her books into boxes and ship them over to Vale as soon as they could.

Not much later, Summer and Tai left RWBY to themselves and returned for their last night in the Airbnb before making their way back to Patch. They weren't even in bed when the first pictures were being sent to their scrolls – Ruby goofing around while brushing her teeth, Yang rolling Blake into a blanket burrito and Weiss using her hair, now out of its braid, as a giant mustache.

"Can you believe they are 20 and older?" Summer laughed and saved all the pictures to her scroll while relaxing in bed.

Tai entered the bedroom, toweling off his hair after his shower. "Our kids definitely didn't get it from me."

"Well, but _certainly_ not from me. So there's only you left."

"Is it already okay to make jokes about your two-decade absence?"

"Let's use them as a temporary coping mechanism until I've found something more… professional."

"Alright, I can work with that." He hung the towel over a chair to dry and snuggled up to his wife.

"Ewww, your hair is still wet!"

"Oh? Is it bothering you?" Tai rubbed his head into Summer's face, the woman squeaking. "Gosh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do that. Oops, again. Sorry. My bad."

"Tai, stop! It tickles!"

"Again, I'm so so—" A pillow smacked against his temple. "Oh, so that's where we're going, huh?!"

The next few minutes were a mess of pillows, blankets and some feathers when Summer went slightly overboard in their fight. Tai eventually won, demonstrating his tickle-skills without a hint of mercy and forcing his wife to surrender due to devastating belly cramps from laughing. Unfair.

Panting, the two flopped down on the mattress. "Yeah," Summer let out between breaths, "I really don't understand why our daughters act so silly sometimes."

***

Time on Patch seemed to fly. Weeks and then months passed, seasons changed. Summer teared up at the sight of the forest outside changing colors, having not seen nature in its full glory for so long, and seemed to be more excited for walks than even Zwei was. Rain, sunshine, wind, it didn't matter because everything was so beautiful, so lively in her eyes. Nothing that reminded her of her dark, dull prison.

Tai was still teaching at Signal where Summer soon applied as well. Being a huntress wasn't an option anymore and it wasn't something that she wanted to keep pursuing, to be honest. Though it was weird to occasionally have children sitting in her classes whose parents she knew from when they had been children or teenagers themselves.

But life had gone on without her; her own family was proof enough. Some days, Summer caught herself mourning the years she'd lost, events she'd missed – birthdays, graduations, holidays. Thinking about how she'd left her loved ones behind so suddenly and how they'd all struggled and suffered… it made her sick to the stomach.

Tai, losing his second wife. Yang, losing her second mother. And Ruby, who hadn't even really known her at all.

But she was here now. That's what counted most. And she would never leave like that again.

Roughly a year after her return, team RWBY invited Summer and Tai over to their house for a weekend, arguing that it was now their turn to play hosts. The four had come by a couple of times already and they wanted to show how their house had changed now that they had properly settled in.

To Summer's surprise, they offered a guest room she and Tai could use instead of staying at a hotel. But when Yang explained that Ruby and Weiss had decided to share a room and accompanied that with a cocky wink, Summer wasn't so surprised anymore.

She'd seen it, too. It had only been a matter of time.

And _wow_ , the house was looking so different – but the good kind of different. There were pictures and posters on the walls, rugs on the floor and strings of lights above the couch. The foursome now owned a car they all shared. It wasn't new and the color… definitely needed some getting used to ("Stop calling it _poop_ brown, Yang, it's _umber_!" – "Umber-lievably ugly, you mean!") but it was getting them from A to B which was enough for the moment, and Yang had her motorcycle anyway. She showed off the newest gadget for her arm which was connected to Bumblebee's accelerator, Ruby presented her steadily growing collection of stylish eyepatches and Blake her bookshelves which were close to giving in to the immense amount of knowledge and trash romance that was crammed into them. (Apparently, there were even more shelves in Blake and Yang's shared bedroom, but Summer believed them without having to check.) Weiss didn't really collect anything but she proudly lead everyone into the garden which she was tending to with her team between missions and on the weekends.

Oh, when Tai saw what they had done to the garden, he almost felt bad for his paltry flowerpots he owned back in Patch. The grass was mowed so accurately, it was putting the finest royal lawn to shame. Tulips were now blooming in the flower beds, planted in patterns and different colors – RWBY's emblems in red, cream, violet and yellow. 

When asked if this wasn't a little excessive, Weiss only shrugged and stated that she liked being outside and getting her hands dirty. Plus, working with her friends outside of missions was fun and as Weiss had been absolutely clueless as to how to care for a garden, coming from a continent that didn't exactly tolerate nature except the absolute toughest of plants, she was learning a lot.

Blake just joked that she needed an excuse to work on her non-existent tan but the shorter girl silenced her with a flick against her forehead.

Later on, Yang and Blake were cooking while Ruby and Weiss had already set the table which now had two more chairs to accommodate guests. It was like an actual home.

There were a card and flowers on the plate of Summer's seat. It genuinely confused her, for her birthday had already been celebrated earlier that year.

"Girls, what is this for? Did I miss something?"

"Apparently," Yang answered from the stove.

Shrugging, Summer inspected the bouquet – roses, of course – took the card and—

Put a hand in front of her mouth to muffle the gasp coming out of it.

_Happy Mother's Day!_

She glanced at Yang and Blake who didn't even look up from their pots and pans, and then at Ruby who was casually tapping away at her scroll on the couch, Weiss leaning onto her shoulder, dozing.

She opened the card.

_Mom,_

_You have no idea how glad we are that this special day is worth celebrating again. We're looking forward to many more to come. Thank you for being here and just being you, and for never failing to make those around you happy. We love you so, so much._

_Your daughters,  
Ruby & Yang_

Summer sniffed, feeling her eyes well up in record time. "Oh," she let out as she put the card back on the table, the first tear drop already rolling down her cheek.

"Aw Mom, don't cry!" Ruby jumped up from the sofa, throwing Weiss off in the process, and rushed to her mother to smother her in a tight, tight hug. The embrace was warm and pleasant but it also seemed to squeeze all of Summer's tears right out of her.

Yang was there in a matter of seconds as well, gently placing her arms around her, her dad on her heels and doing the same. A second later, even Weiss and Blake were at her side.

"Thank you," Summer sobbed out, "I love you all, too."

"Everything for our hero," Tai said, kissing her on the cheek.

***

It was a slow Saturday morning. The coffee was hot but already cooled off enough to drink, her cereal just the right amount of soggy and Zwei curled up on her feet. Summer lazily flipped through some newspaper articles and enjoyed the feeling of having breakfast in her pajamas.

"Grimm declared practically extinct" – wonderful. "SDC welcomes first Faunus employee in top position" – excellent. "New academies-turned-universities open their gates for over 40,000 students combined" – fabulous.

The perfect weekend. School work could wait until tomorrow. 

Zwei suddenly moved, lifting his head and sniffing skeptically. A second later, he darted towards the door and started barking.

"What's up, buddy? Robbers, thieves? The mail man?" It couldn't be Tai; his jog always took at least another half hour. Summer watched Zwei for a moment but the dog just wouldn't stop. "Ok, fine."

Humming, Summer approached the door. Zwei growled when she turned the knob.

"H-hello," Raven said, standing there nervously.

"Uh… hi."

"Did I come at a bad time?"

"No, absolutely not."

"Good." She cleared her throat. "Because I'd like to… start over."

"Oh. Sure."

" _Actually_ start over this time. I feel... ready. I think."

"Yes, that'd be lovely!"

"Thank you."

Summer shot her a gentle smile, opening the door a little further. "Come in, Raven. Do you want some coffee, or tea? I have a feeling that this will take a while…"

"Tea, if you don't mind."

"Coming right up! Take a seat, I'll be with you in a minute." She closed the door behind her guest. Her eyes wandered to the framed picture on the wall, right above the key rack. The same photograph was also in her wallet, though smaller.

Team RWBY and Tai back when he paid them a visit in the hospital long ago. The five of them were laughing, hugging each other. Loving each other. Later on, Ruby had clumsily edited a portrait of Qrow into the bunch to "complete" it. He looked admittedly very out of place, with his head comically sticking out from behind Taiyang's shoulders, but it had its charm. If Summer had to define happiness in one single picture, she'd choose this one without batting an eye.

Maybe next year, they could finally add Raven's smile to the group.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we did it!
> 
> Thanks for reading and all the comments and kudos you guys left! It makes me so happy to see that people are enjoying the stories I come up with, and I get to practice my English! It's a win/win!
> 
> Also, I already have a bigger story in the making. I'm still at the very beginning so it'll take a lot of time for me to post it - I don't like publishing unfinished works. In the meantime, I might drop another shorter story just for fun, so look out for that.


End file.
